The Iron Gamer of Kumo
by nclose9
Summary: An OC finds himself plunged into the Naruto verse with gamer powers. Homesick and not knowing how much time he has there, he goes on to make his place in a new world, maybe have a little fun and probably grow a little more. Strong!OC, OC!Insert, Gamer!OC, Magnet-Release.
1. Chapter 1: The Cream-Colored Background

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

_Summary: An OC finds himself plunged into the Naruto verse with gamer powers. Homesick and not knowing how much time he has there; he goes on to make his place in a new world, maybe have a little fun and probably grow a little more. __Strong!OC, OC!Insert, Gamer!OC, Magnet-Release_

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Cream Colored Background**

I remember staring at that empty space, with that cream-colored background.

'Where am I?' Was the first thing I asked myself. Trapped in a monochromatic endless space was a novel experience alright, but not being able to interact with anything, not even myself, was downright horrible. I remember assuming it was one of those lucid nightmare / night terrors I got every once in a while.

Fear got a grip of me and cold sweat dripped down my back. A completely empty space. Void. I couldn't see my hands, couldn't hear anything, and I couldn't move. All I could see was a freaking cream-colored infinity. Trying to run didn't take me anywhere, trying to scream didn't get me any answers.

When you can't wake up from a night terror, fear continues to fester your mind until you hyperventilate. You'll believe you've woken up only to realize you're still asleep, and the cycle will start again.

But I learned a long time ago the golden rule to escape a night terror, it was rather simple: Calm down, relax and try to sleep. Yes, try to sleep while dreaming, Inception style. Only you don't go to a deeper dream within a dream, you wake up.

'That's all I have to do,' I assured myself, 'go to sleep on this dream and you'll wake up in your bed in the real world.'

I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing. Five seconds in, five seconds out. 'Just… wake up and take the goddamn pill.'

That's when it appeared, a light gray square floating in front of me with big black bold letters.

**"YOU ARE IN A COMA"**

'...This is NOT a nightmare.'

* * *

The thing about epileptic seizures is that they are not uncommon. Less than you might think, anyway. I'll always remember the first on I had: I unexpectedly woke up on a hospital bed with a headache, my whole body felt strained and I was confused as hell. I didn't even remember passing out in the first place. I was out for three days, doctors said.

A freakishly expensive pill a day, no driving or drinking for six months, and a "beware of bright lights" was all I got from the rather surreal experience. And a small scar on the back of the head due to falling headfirst on the university's stone floors. But life went on. That life, that is.

Another funny thing about epileptic seizures: they can happen at night while sleeping. I do recall going to bed the night before all of this and… that's it, that's the last thing I remember from before.

So, that's the only explanation I had, a night seizure plunging me into a coma. Is that too much of a stretch?

Nevertheless, there I was staring at a freaking pop-up message floating on my range of vision. Was that what happened to all coma patients? A cream-colored emptiness with floating messages?

'Am I really in a coma? Can I believe the floating box?' I wondered.

'Why am I not freaking out again?'

A loud DING broke me from my musings and the floating text box changed to something I didn't expect:

**Welcome to the game! You've been chosen to play while in a coma.**

'Huh?' I squinted my eyes and blinked rapidly. A game? I got "selected" to play a freaking game until I wake up? 'This doesn't make any sense.'

* * *

So here I am now. The grey text box still floating in front a cream-colored background, a soft ominous hum was emitting from the box.

'Does this _game_ wants me to somehow _click_ a Yes button?' I sarcastically wondered.

With nothing else to do, I clicked. Not clicking per se, there was no button at all, but somehow just wanting to accept the message made it change.

**Please input your game preferences and create an avatar.**

**Please select world:**

**[] Naruto**

'Huh, Naruto?' I wondered, 'I get to play a Naruto game?'

'I read the manga, watched the first part of the anime show, even the last movies,' I thought, 'I was even reading some fanfiction on my daily commute.' Why the hell not, right? It's not like I had too many options anyway. Let's accept the text box.'

**Choose a first name**

'Hmmmm, a name?' I mused, 'like, NoobMaster69 or a real name? Can I get a random one?'

**'Kioshi' was selected, meaning 'Silent'. Confirm?**

'Yeah, well, why not,' I snorted. Of course it would be a Japanese name, context and all.

Then, things got a bit more interesting.

**Last name will be given according to later selections.**

**Defaults settings have been implemented:**

**Name: Kioshi**

**Title: n/a**  
**Gender: Male**  
**Level 1 (0/100)**

**HP: 40/40**  
**SP: 30/30**  
**Chakra: 150/150**  
**Chakra Control: 20%**

**STR: 2**  
**DEX: 2**  
**VIT: 2**  
**INT: 7**  
**WIS: 7**  
**CHA: 7/10**  
**Points: 0**

**Money: 0**

'...Holy shit! An RPG?' I exclaimed. I got to play a Naruto RPG game?

'Oh, I am SO going to play'

**Select your traits. You have 3 points to spend. More will be available as the game progresses and you level up.**

**[] Civilian grown: The newbies. (0 points)**  
**As a civilian, you don't have the same advantages as shinobi born.**  
**25% slower Chakra growth. Adds 1 trait point. Incompatible with Descendant or Clan traits.**

**[] Taijutsu Oriented: The brick breakers. (1 point)**  
**Increases Taijutsu and bukijutsu experience gain by 10%. 5% faster DEX and STR growth.**

**[] Ninjutsu Oriented: The chakra lovers. (1 point)**  
**Increases Jutsu experience gain by 10%. 5% faster Chakra growth.**

**[] Genjutsu Oriented: The illusion and control lovers. (1 point)**  
**Increases Genjutsu experience gain by 10%. 5% faster INT growth and +5 to starting Chakra Control percentage.**

**[] Medic Oriented: The "helping" hand. (1 point)**  
**Increases Medical Jutsu experience gain by 10%. +5% to starting Chakra Control and 5% faster Chakra Control growth.**

**[] Fuinjutsu Oriented: The writing ones. (1 point)**  
**Increases Fuinjutsu experience gain by 10%. +10% experience gain to INT.**

**[] Sarutobi Clan: The monkey like ones. (2 points)**  
**Great aptitude to bukijutsu and taijutsu, a battle-oriented clan.**  
**Increases Chakra Control by 5% at start. 10% faster Chakra Control, VIT and STR growth. Fire affinity imposed. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Aburame Clan: Insect loving ones. (2 points)**  
**Unique hidden jutsu list involving insects, a highly analytic clan.**  
**Access to hidden Aburame clan techniques. Symbiotic relationship with kikaichu imposed. 10% faster INT and WIS growth. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Hyuga Clan: The White-eyed ones. (2 points)**  
**Unique Dojutsu, a taijutsu oriented clan divided by inner turmoil.**  
**Access to Byakugan dojutsu and related taijutsu list. 15% faster DEX growth and 10% faster STR growth. Increases Chakra Control by 5% at start. Region Locked: Konohagakure. Caged Bird Seal imposed.**

**[] Inuzuka Clan: The feral ones. (2 points)**  
**Unique canine companions, a hot-headed clan known for their tracking prowess.**  
**Access to special canine companion and related jutsu list. 10% faster DEX and STR growth. Improved hearing, sight and smell. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Nara Clan: The lazy ones. (2 points)**  
**An unmotivated but highly intelligent clan.**  
**Access to hidden jutsu list. 20% faster INT growth. Decreased SP gain by 20%. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Yamanaka Clan: The mind ones. (2 points)**  
**A clan of mind walkers.**  
**Access to hidden jutsu list. 10% faster INT and WIS growth. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Akimichi Clan: The big ones. (2 points)**  
**A clan possessing great physical strength.**  
**Access to hidden jutsu list. 15% faster STR growth and 10% faster VIT growth. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Uchiha Clan: The Red-eyed ones. (3 points)**  
**Unique Dojutsu, direct descendants of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and a proud clan of Fire users.**  
**Access to Sharingan dojutsu, 15% faster DEX growth, 10% faster Chakra Control growth. Imposed Curse of Hatred. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Uzumaki Descendant: The ones with the red hair. (3 points)**  
**Massive Chakra capacity and increased life force. Survivors are now scattered across the world.**  
**Increases Chakra by 100 points at start. 50% faster Chakra growth and 20% faster VIT growth. 100% faster Fuinjutsu experience gain. Access to chakra chains. -10 to Chakra Control percentage at start. 50% slower Chakra Control experience gain.**

**[] Senju Descendant: The great ones. (3 points)**  
**Unique life force, direct descendants of Hagoromo Otsutsuki.**  
**Increases VIT by 10 points at start. 15% faster Chakra and VIT growth. 10% slower Chakra Control growth.**

**[] Yuki Descendant: The cold ones. (3 points)**  
**Decimated during Kirigakure's civil war, their descendants are now scattered.**  
**Nature transformation kekkei genkai Hyoton (Ice release) available, elemental affinity to Wind and Water imposed. 10% faster DEX and INT growth.**

**[] Kaguya Descendant: The bone ones. (3 points)**  
**Decimated during Kirigakure's civil war, their descendants are now scattered.**  
**Shikotsumyaku available. Increases VIT by 10 points at start. 15% faster DEX growth and 10% faster STR and VIT growth. You will be mentally unstable and prone to violence.**

**[] Hozuki Descendant: The water ones. (2 points)**  
**Unique clan ability to turn their bodies into liquid state.**  
**Hydrification Technique available, which requires constant hydration. Water affinity imposed.**

**[] Hoshigaki Descendant: The shark ones. (3 points)**  
**Unique shark-like appearance with an aptitude to water style jutsu.**  
**Underwater breathing ability. 15% faster STR and 10% faster VIT growth. +25% faster experience gain to water-related jutsu. Water affinity imposed.**

**[] Boil Release: Stew them. (3 points)**  
**Access to Boil Release nature transformation kekkei genkai, Water and Fire affinities imposed.**

**[] Explosion Release: Blast them. (3 points)**  
**Access to Explosion Release nature transformation kekkei genkai, Earth and Lighting affinities imposed. Region Locked: Iwagakure, to be trained as a member of Iwa's explosion corps.**

**[] Lava Release: Liquefy them. (3 points)**  
**Access to Lava Release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Fire and Earth affinities imposed. Sub selection of specific form.**

**[] Magnet Release: Attract them. (3 points)**  
**Access to magnet release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Wind and Earth affinities imposed. Sub selection of specific form.**

**[] Scorch Release: Heat them up. (3 points)**  
**Access to scorch release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Fire and Wind affinities imposed.**

**[] Storm Release: Beam them up, Scotty. (3 points)**  
**Access to Storm release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Lightning and Water affinities imposed. Region Locked: Kumogakure.**

**[] Wood Release: Up the trees. (3 points)**  
**Access to the cell infused version of the fabled Mokuton kekkei genkai. Water and Earth affinities imposed. Region Locked: Konohagakure.**

**[] Dust Release: The disintegrating ones. (4 points)**  
**Access to Dust Release kekkei tota. Earth, Wind and Fire affinities and 'September' by EW&F menu music imposed. Region locked: Iwagakure. Student of the Tsuchikage imposed.**

**[] True Wood Release: Requires Senju Descendant Trait. Blocked in history mode.**

**[] Jinchuriki: Blocked in history mode.**

**[] Transmigrant: Blocked in history mode.**

'Wow,' I dumbfounded thought.

There was a lot of information there, and a lot of conjectures could be made, too.

Clans are region locked; Descendants are not.

Timewise, it appears the timeline was post Kiri bloodline issues from the lack of clan affiliation of the Yuki or Kaguya families, but probably before the Uchiha clan massacre, as they are still considered a Clan. And since the last traits state "history mode", it was easy to assume the timeline is more or less in hand with the manga.

I could take the Sharingan and try to build an Itachi type ninja, but I needed more points to also specialize in genjutsu. And being an Uchiha pre-massacre… nope. It's tempting, though.

What about a Senju Descendant? It wasn't stated as a clan so maybe I would be an illegitimate child of Tsunade maybe? Wood release was only available in an imperfect form, nevertheless, and I didn't have the points to pick both.

An Uzumaki? A Yuki? A Sarutobi? Other Konoha clans? Other kekkei genkai? Maybe a taijutsu master? 'Holy crap, I can be a Hoshigaki!'

But my mind was already set when my gaze stopped at a particular kekkei genkai: Magnet release.

'I could be like the freaking Third Kazekage and have the freaking iron sand! Or the freaking gold dust!' I thought, doing a little dance in my head.

I had a simple picture in my mind. If I can't make myself so extraordinary as the First Hokage with his senjutsu and Wood release or even an Itachi type ninja right from the beginning, I would try my own version in this game. A silent ninja who stuck to the shadows, not the talkative-pause-suspense duelist. I would get my big ass jutsu in time.

Maybe later, when and if I got more trait points, I could diversify… maybe then there will be new traits to unlock.

I turned my thoughts to the floating screen and selected Magnet Release.

**Select specialization:**

**[] Ferromagnetic - Iron Sand.**

**[] Diamagnetic - Gold Dust.**

**[] Diamagnetic – Sand. Requires "Jinchuriki – One Tail" status.**

Grinning, I chose the Iron Sand.

**Please select your country:**

**[] Konohagakure**

**[] Kumogakure**

**[] Iwagakure**

**[] Kirigakure**

**[] Sunagakure**

**[] Amegakure**

'Oh, Ok. What to choose?' This was a very important choice.

* * *

_Author's note:_

_As you might have noticed, the story is based on all the Gamer fics around. Specially The Gamer of Sunagakure by Zturn. I want it to be a Gray!OC but not dark or antagonistic. _

_I had this story in my mind for quite a while and now that I'm out of work and haven't found a new one, let's try to finally write it._


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Arrival**

When I looked at my options, some were dismissed instantly.

I wasn't going to try Ame. One word: Pein, or maybe Hanzo. Did Hanzo die before or after the Sand-Sound invasion of Konoha?

The bloody mist was neck deep in the bloodline related hate, so that was also a negative. That left the other 4 great nations.

Suna… it was the place where iron release was born, and the Yondaime Kazekage himself used the golden variant. But Orochimaru's eyes over the village and the Yondaime's assassination by his hand were not good omens to someone with a rare and locally famous kekkei-genkai. So, I discarded it quickly.

And what about Konoha, where the story unfolds? Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, the Sandaime, Tsunade and Jiraiya! But then again, an iron release wielder in Konoha under the watchful eyes of Danzo and Orochimaru? I didn't want to risk being hunted, kidnapped or experimented upon. 'I'll be damned if someone tries to control me,' but I didn't want to discard Konoha that fast.

'I should try to hide my magnet release for as long as possible, to avoid Orochimaru's interest… or anyone like him'

Iwa used to hire the Akatsuki, and naturally I wanted to avoid them until I was strong enough. Sasori also had the Third Kazekage's body as a puppet and I wouldn't appreciate sharing that fate, no sir. Besides, Orochimaru was part of the Akatsuki before Itachi ran him over. So, Iwa was dismissed.

The choice was between Konoha and Kumo.

'Do I want to repeat so many cliches and start in Konoha, along all the known characters?' I wondered, 'I might get to know Naruto and Sasuke, maybe even help them become those monsters they'll eventually grow into.'

All in all, I chose Kumo.

It was the logical answer. Away from Akatsuki, Orochimaru and Danzo, yet a strong village even without most of the main characters of the manga. Kumo looked to be a place where I could learn a lot, away from the gaze of the world.

If I recall correctly, Kumo had a magnet release user, a floating shuriken version. It wouldn't be such a horrible thing If somehow my kekkei genkai went public. 'Nobody would believe Kumo stole a kekkei genkai or captured the Third Kazekage for breeding purposes, right?'

I selected the second choice.

**You have selected Kumogakure, the village hidden in the clouds.  
Kumo is the hidden village of the Land of Lightning, the current Raikage is A, the Yondaime.**

**You are now playing Story Mode.**

My head began to spin quickly until, suddenly, it stopped. I opened my eyes before picking myself from the floor. I was in a small house, Japanese styled from what I knew. Rubbing my eyes, there was one thing to do before exploring the house and this new _life_:

'So, is there a menu or something alike in this game?'

**Menu:**

**Status  
Skills  
Inventory  
Quests  
Map  
Relations  
**

'Let's go in order... Status.'

**Character Status:  
Select an item to view additional information.**

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: n/a  
Age: 4  
Gender: Male  
Level 1 (0/100)**

**HP: 40/40  
SP: 30/30  
Chakra: 150/150  
Chakra Control: 20%**

**STR: 2  
DEX: 2  
VIT: 2  
INT: 7  
WIS: 7  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 0**

**Money: 0**

Well, I got a last name.

'Crap, I'm young,' that was not going to be fun, but at least I would have a lot of time to train.

I selected each item on the list.

**Title: Your title might be something you are famous for and might give you bonuses to skills, stats, etc. Currently available: n/a.**

**Level is your character level. Each level up your mayor stats will increase by one point each and you will be awarded 2 stat points to assign freely. **

**HP are your health points. When health reaches zero, you die.**

**SP are your stamina points. When they reach zero, you'll feel lightheaded and might faint because of exhaustion. **

**Chakra is your chakra pool. Chakra points are used to cast ninjutsu and other skills. If you spend all your Chakra, you will faint because of chakra exhaustion. Chakra depends on your Intelligence, Wisdom and Vitality, and can be trained and augmented.**

**Chakra Control indicates your overall control over your chakra. It's measured in percentage, with 100% meaning perfect chakra control. Chakra Control depends on your Intelligence and Wisdom, and can be trained and augmented.**

**STR is your Strength, it affects your melee and weapon damage. It can be trained.**

**DEX is your Dexterity, it affects your aiming, dodging and general speed. It can be trained.**

**VIT is your Vitality, it determines your SP and HP directly. It can be trained.**

**INT is your Intelligence, your ability to resolve complex problems and learn complex jutsu. It can be trained.**

**WIS is your Wisdom, your decision making ability and affects related skills. It can be trained.**

**CHAR is your charisma, measured from 1 to 10. It's a static value and can't be changed by normal means.**

**Points are the available points to allocate. They are obtained from leveling up or as certain quest rewards.**

**Money is the amount of cash you currently possess in your person and inventory. **

**(Level not high enough to access detailed information).**

'Okay, I think I get it. Pretty standard RPG mechanics so far. I get points awarded each level up, I can train most of the stats. Are there observation skills and such?'

'Menu?'

**Menu:**

**Status  
Skills  
Inventory  
Quests  
Map  
Relations**

'Skills!'

**Skills  
Select an item to see additional information**

**Perks:  
Gamer's Body.  
Gamer's Mind.  
Old Soul.**

**Skills:  
Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 1.  
Observe. Lvl 1.**

**Jutsu list:  
[This list is empty]**

'Ok, let's see each of those perks and skills'

**Perks:**

**Gamer's Body.  
\- Allows you to feel your body as a gamer's. Death upon reaching 0 HP, sleeping in a bed removes most negative status.**

**Gamer's Mind.  
\- Grants immunity to mind control, mind reading and mental manipulation. Ensures peaceful state of mind and grants immunity to phycological status and effects.**

**Old Soul: You have already lived a life, and some things are carried over.  
\- Protects your knowledge from third party intrusion. Grants +5 to INT and WIS at start, +100 Chakra points at start. 10% Faster Chakra and Chakra control growth. 1% bonus to Chakra each level up. Birthmarks or other physical conditions might be present.**

**Skills:**

**Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 1.  
\- The famed third kazekage's version of the kekkei genkai. By controlling magnetic fields, ferromagnetic iron sands obey your commands. Control, sand amount and Chakra cost are level dependent.**

**Observe. Lvl 1.  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.**

As I was expecting, I got a gamer's body and mind passive. Immunity to mind control jutsu and such was amazing, and that Old Soul perk looked nice too. 'But, what's that about "some things are carried over"?'

The Magnet Release skill was my overall kekkei genkai level. The jutsu list was empty so I had to come up with iron sand jutsu to start filling it up. I also wanted to level that observation skill as much as I could.

'Menu, Inventory' I mentally commanded.

**Inventory:  
This is where you put things only you can access. There's no weight limit, but you cannot stash over 100 items. Money can be kept in the inventory for safe keeping without using an inventory slot. Mental commands are used to store/access any number of items in any slot. Restricted to one type of item per slot.**

**[Empty]**

Nice, I've got my own inventory! And it didn't have weight limit, which made me happy.

'Menu, Quests.'

**Quests:  
Here is a list of currently active quests, categorized.**

**[This list is empty]**

Pretty standard, 'Menu, Map.'

**Map:  
Local maps are shown in detail. Other maps are also accessible.**

**[You haven't acquired any maps.]**

Ok, another mission in the short term: Get a map. 'Menu, relations.'

**Relations:  
Each person you have some relation with is listed here. Only basic information is presented. You need a real relation with the subject for him/her to be listed.**

**Denji Shirasu. Father, good relationship.  
Denji is a jonin from Kumo, expert in long distance lighting jutsu and shurikenjutsu. **

**Chijaru Shirasu: Mother, deceased.  
Chijaru was a jonin from Kumo, expert in wind release jutsu. **

**Sadako Hirano: Babysitter, very good relationship.  
Sadako is a student from Kumo's ninja academy.**

'Huh?' According to that, my mother in this world was dead and I had a babysitter.

'Ok, enough of this menu.'

Suddenly, I got the memories of my life here. I lived in Kumo with my father, my birth mother died two years ago from some sort of illness. He's been struggling with my mother's death and took up drinking. I'm mostly left alone at home, but Sadako comes twice a day to check on me.

Our home was a typical Japanese styled little house. A wooden ceiling, white walls with wooden pillars and a tatami floor. At the center was a small table with four cushions. To the right, there was a small kitchen and to the left, a short corridor which led to two bedrooms and a bathroom. Some drawings hanged on the walls, and some rice paper with Japanese writing hanged over the entrance.

'Shit, I don't know how to read!' I could read and write in English and I learnt a little Spanish in school, but I didn't know Japanese. I must have learned while growing here, no?...

"Hello?"

I spoke! In Japanese!

"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates."

"You've been living in a dream world, Neo."

"Let's put a smile on that face."

'Hell yeah! I can speak Japanese!' Well, mostly. It sounded somewhat miss-pronounced. Probably because I was four... were kids supposed to speak correctly at four?

In that regard, my body was... small and sometimes non-respondent. I moved my fingers freely, but more meticulous movements needed a lot of concentration. My legs didn't respond that well to simultaneous controlled movement, but it was okay, I could walk and run.

Being four again after becoming an adult once was bizarre.

My musings were interrupted by the jingling of keys and the front door opening.

"Kioshi, are you awake?" a sweet voice called.

I recognized it as Sadako's. She came to visit every weekday in the morning and in the afternoons after class to check on me, and whenever Dad was on a long term mission.

"There you are!" she said with a cheerful smile, "come here you little chipmunk."

She grabbed me by my armpits and spun me around a couple of times. Her golden hair was gorgeous, contrasting with her dark brown eyes and dark skin.

"Did your dad leave you any snacks? Did he come at lunch time from village patrol? Did he remember to water the plants?" she asked in quick succession, "or do I have to nag him again?"

I just looked with one eyebrow up. She spoke too much and too quickly.

"Yes, no, maybe, I don't know?" I responded.

"You... you spoke?"

I was awarded with big brown eyes opened like saucers.

"You spoke!"

And I was again spun around the living room.

"Aww honey, I knew you could speak! They were afraid you just couldn't, but I told them you were a smart little cookie and you would speak eventually," she happily continued, "you are such a handsome little man, oh I'll make you a snack!"

So, I didn't speak before?

Her happy skipping to the kitchen was a perfect opportunity to try the observing skill.

'Observe'

**Name: Sadako Hirano.  
Title: Academy student.  
Level: 12  
Age: 11  
Sadako is a student from Kumo's ninja academy  
Relationship level: Very Good.**

That wasn't a lot of information. Level 12 and an academy student, was that a standard?

After the snack and more trying to make me talk while squishing my cheeks, Sadako went home. I practiced the observe skill on everything I could see; cushions, tables, forks, doors, beds, kitchen utensils, and a long etc. Basically, everything could be observed, and details were also dependent on the object. Knifes and forks had a damage stat, doors or cushions didn't.

The good news was that the skill leveled. A small gray icon started flashing in the lower right of my vision, focusing on it showed me a new window:

**Observe increased by one.**

**Observe. Lvl 2 (26%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.**

The bad news was that it still didn't show any additional information.

From what I can remember about this world, all afternoons were like this, boring and silent, killing time by doodling or sleeping. Mornings were no different. Dad would leave to work and Sadako would come to check on me in the mornings before academy and afternoons after it. Dad would leave a small lunch of rice and other stuff on the table for me to eat, if he remembered, with chopsticks on the side which I couldn't use very well yet.

Why would dad leave a small child like me alone for most of the day? And why wasn't Sadako fazed by that, anyway? It seemed to be a common practice among shinobi parents, from what she spoke. Maybe to encourage self-awareness or some bullshit like that, or because they were lazy as hell and it was such an ingrained habit that nobody really questioned it.

Nevertheless, I needed a mirror. I wanted to see my face!

Rummaging through one of my dad's bedside table I found a small makeup mirror. Judging by the old and dried lipstick next to it, it was my mother's. I'm too small to see myself in the bathroom mirror, so this was all I have.

'What is wrong with my eyes?' One had a dark yellow iris while the left one was dark green. My father has green eyes and my mother had blue, so the weird one was the yellow eye. 'Heterochromia,' I remembered, was the name of the condition. Was this because of the Old Soul perk?

I also had charcoal black hair, that grayish black color. Not long, but not short, a little spiky and with a bang falling down my right eye. My skin was a healthy-looking peach color. Not the darker color common in Kumo, but not pale white. My face was just the typical face of a small kid, maybe a little lanky.

That was me, a skinny kid with mismatched eyes and black-gray hair.

After walking around the house, I sat down to think about what to do before dad arrived. I was four years old, I was in Kumogakure, in the freaking Naruto universe. I was going to train and learn as much as I could.

'So, I need a plan' I thought, looking for some paper and ink until I suddenly stopped.

'I can't read or write, can I?'

No, I couldn't read nor write Japanese. So first thing first: figure out how to read.

**Quest Created:  
A Reading Rainbow**

**Learn to read Japanese.**

**Rewards:  
50 Exp, a random simple scroll.**

**Accept?**

"Hell yeah, my first quest!" I exclaimed. I would need to wait for dad to teach how to read and maybe ask Sadako for help. 'Accept.' I couldn't think of anything to do at the moment to progress that quest.

So, next on the list: Chakra! Could I feel it? Did I need to unlock it? 'Should I force it to my hands and _try_ forming a Rasengan like Naruto's?'

The last hours before dad's arrival were wasted trying to feel my Chakra. I didn't accomplish anything, not even a blueish hue formed in my hand. I tried screaming, relaxing, flexing my wrist, holding my breath... but, nothing.

I was sprawled on the floor, angry and frustrated when dad came home.

"Hello," he said. Dad waltzed into the house with a stern expression, ruffled my hair and went into the kitchen. The sound of a bottle of beer being opened echoed around the house.

After a couple of seconds, I replied.

"Hello dad, how was your day?"

A pause later, his head was peeking out the kitchen door, one brow raised.

"Kioshi, you spoke" he half said half murmured. He took a long breath, calmly walked to me and ruffled my hair again. "About time, son," he added seriously, then chugging his beer and returning to the kitchen.

From what I remember, that was the biggest reaction I've got from dad in this life. I knew his routine, he would chug a couple of beers, read the newspaper in silence, cook a simple dinner for both, clean the kitchen and, finally, he would lock himself in his bedroom with a bottle of liquor. Some nights, I could hear him crying.

"Dad," I followed him into the kitchen, "could you teach me how to read?"

He staggered.

"Sure son, I'll buy some books about reading tomorrow," he responded over his shoulder.

"Dad, what is chakra?"

He staggered again, but this time, a small smirk was present. A reminiscent expression on his face, he looked at my eyes.

"I suppose it was expected," he answered slowly, "... for you to ask about chakra. Well, your mother and I, we are ninjas. We were nin-"

A pause and a pained face later, he continued.

"Yes, after dinner I'll teach you about chakra. Now go wash up."

I didn't tell him I still can't reach the bathroom sink or that the little stool broke weeks ago. I sat in a cushion at the table, waiting for him.

"So, chakra," dad said putting a plate of rice and pork and some instant miso soup in front of me, "chakra is your life force, its usage differentiates us from civilians and is what we use to protect the village."

He sat down in front of me with his own plate.

"Everyone's chakra is the same, but, at the same time, it has some aspects unique to each individual," drinking his soup in one big gulp he finished, "oh, and chakra can be made denser, lighter, faster, etc. depending on the jutsu."

"Where's my chakra?" I asked.

"Well, if you meditate enough, you'll feel it in your gut."

He stood up and went to his bedroom without finishing his meal, a half-filled bottle of booze in hand.

Dad has taken up drinking as a way to deal with my mother's death, drinking himself to stupor just to sleep. Some days he doesn't return home until past midnight, smelling of booze and cheap perfume. He usually wobbles around looking for his bed, but most of the times he plops on the couch.

It looked like I was a neglected kid, but I couldn't blame dad about it.

I didn't know when I'll wake up from the coma or if time passed as in the real world, but the same question kept nagging around in my head all day: how much time do I have?

* * *

_Author's note:_

_I know it was obvious he would choose Kumo, it just seemed a decent place to end the previous chapter._

_Proof reading and editing take a long time and until I get enough experience, it's easier to go with short chapters. But hey, s__hort chapters mean more frequent updates for now!_


	3. Chapter 3: Home Alone

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Home Alone**

I realized I didn't need to sleep, but I certainly could. I fell asleep around 2 am while trying to meditate, with my head full of loss and remorse, and woke up at about 6 am, just in time to bump into dad.

For the first time in a long time, he said "I love you" when leaving to his city patrols. He didn't look much hangover nor drunk. He didn't leave me breakfast, though.

Sadako came only for a few minutes as she was late for school, but I was able to ask her for a book to learn how to read. With her beautiful smile, she agreed on looking for one in the library before dropping here on the afternoon.

Sitting alone on the dining room cushions, I started my meditation, again trying to get a feel of my chakra.

'Five seconds in, hold it for three more, release your breath in seven seconds, then repeat.' I tensed every muscle before releasing them, from my toes to my head, focusing on the sound of my breathing.

Ever so slowly, I fell to the deepest part of my mind, ignoring all my senses in the way, my closed eyes dancing to non-existent music. I focused on my center, trying to find anything unusual.

There it was, a soft hum like an opera song, discretely frolicking inside me. I joined its rhythm and let it roam around my body. It felt vast, endless and somehow happy; like a wave, it crashed against my skin.

I opened my eyes slowly, determined to keep my chakra in my grasp. I directed it to my hands, feet, shoulders, back, to my head, to my eyes and around my skin. There was no blue glow nor any external indication, but it was there.

It was astounding! I felt tranquil and at the same time exhilarating and eager. Chakra felt wonderful, it made me feel delighted, vigorous and connected with my body.

Ding!

A small icon on the lower right of my vision range pulsated, selecting it opened a new window.

**Quest Completed!  
Everything we need is within us.**

**Unlock your Chakra.**

**Rewards:  
+50 Exp, +1 WIS.**

I got a point to WIS, increasing it to 8.

'Menu, Status'

**Character Status:  
Select an item to view additional information.**

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: n/a  
Age: 4  
Gender: Male  
Level 1 (50/100)**

**HP: 40/40  
SP: 30/30  
Chakra: 156/156  
Chakra Control: 21%**

**STR: 2  
DEX: 2  
VIT: 2  
INT: 7  
WIS: 8  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 0**

**Money: 0**

Huh? My Chakra and Chakra Control went up because of the one point increase in WIS?

**Chakra Control indicates your overall control over your chakra. It's measured in percentage, with 100% meaning perfect chakra control. Chakra Control depends on your Intelligence and Wisdom, and can be trained and augmented.**

Yes, it did, 'I'll get to 100% in no time!'

The small icon at the right continued to pulsate.

**Skill Created:**

**Meditation. Lvl 1. (1%)  
\- Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.  
Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 50%.**

There wasn't much else to do at home apart from chakra related training, so I planned my next actions.

I can't -or shouldn't- train my body too much yet, or it could stunt my growth. My training should focus on skills and mental aptitudes, I should read and play mental games; however, I can't read yet.

From what I remembered about the manga, chakra capacity could be increased by depleting your reserves, waiting for them to fill up and repeat. Namely the 'spam-jutsu-until-you-pass-out' method.

Chakra Control, on the other hand, was trained with the renowned leaf concentration exercise, the tree climbing exercise and the water walking exercise.

All things considered, I decided to focus on Chakra Control as the old soul perk already gave me 2/3 of my total chakra capacity and improved its growth. It was safe to assume I had a lot of chakra for a four years old kid.

A semi-dry potted plant in the kitchen gave me a leaf, so I began.

'Concentrate chakra on your forehead,' I repeated to myself, 'focus!'

After several attempts, the leaf stuck.

"Oh yeah!"

Ding!

**Skill Created:**

**Leaf Concentration Exercise. Lvl 0. (1%)  
\- A staple of shinobi training.  
Increases Chakra control percentage by [Lvl] percent; number of leaves to hold: 1.  
Cost: 8 Chakra Points per minute.**

'Nice!'

Given my 150 Chakra points, I should be able to hold the leaf for a little less than 20 minutes.

'Well then, no time like the present.'

Keeping a close eye on my Chakra, I stuck the leaf to my forehead and three and a half minutes later, I was panting, feeling a mixture of hunger, weakness and tiredness. My chakra went down to 3 points before I cut the flow to my forehead.

'Holy cow, this feels horrible.'

I forgot to consider my Chakra Control, those 8 points per minute were really about 40.

'At least I'll now know my Chakra regeneration rate.'

I had to wait about 10 minutes before seeing my Chakra go up to 12 points, and about an hour until it reached 60. According to the Meditation skill, regeneration was increased by 50% while meditating, so that was something.

Going into a meditative state, I kept an eye in my chakra. This time, my chakra increased by more or less 14 points at the 10 minutes mark. Hence, it will take me approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes of rest for my chakra to fill up, and one hour less if I was to meditate continuously.

I had to see if it was possible now to meditate without falling asleep.

* * *

It wasn't possible, I fell asleep over the table and woke up after lunch. Maybe I was relaxing my body too much. Anyhow, at least my chakra was full again.

I stuck the leaf to my forehead and repeated the process. Three minutes and something later, I was panting again.

I meditated again for about 10 minutes when I remembered to have lunch. Did I really need to eat or did the gamer's body take care of that? Did I feel hunger?

The fridge only had old take away food, some moldy rice and about thirty medium bottles of beer. I got a small sachet of miso paste and had a cup of cold soup. I'm too short to turn on the stove yet.

I decided then to train my observation skills while waiting for my chakra to fill up, though I really wanted something new to observe.

The house wasn't big. We didn't have a back yard, but we had a small front yard with some plants. The only problem was that the entrance door was always locked. 'I'll lose my mind if I stay here, I'll need to get a copy of the keys soon.'

Dragging the dinner table to the window, I peeked my head. The sun was shining bright outside, but it was a rather chilly afternoon. I loved it.

Ours was a narrow street, crammed with small houses from what I could see. We appeared to be in a small valley between some stony mountains. In the background, you could see the peaks of the highest mountains, some of them covered by snow, some had round buildings attached and, one in particular, had a big blue one. The Raikage tower.

An old lady strolled in front of my house. 'Observe.'

**Name: Masami Ibuka.  
Title: n/a.  
Level: 5  
Age: 71  
Masami is an old Civilian.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

'So, that's the level of an old civilian.'

People kept walking in front of my window and I even spotted a chunin running on the roofs, but my observation level might have been too low to discern anything useful.

**Name: Motoichi Onoe.  
Title: ?  
Level: ?  
Age: 18  
Motoichi is a Kumo chunin.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

After 3 hours of observing people -and a notably fat cat- from my window, the skill increased 4 levels:

**Observe increased by four.**

**Observe. Lvl 6. (28%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.**

Now that my chakra was back to full, it was time to stick a leaf to my forehead and try to meditate again.

* * *

If meditating for more than 20 minutes was hard, doing so with chakra depletion was horrible.

That afternoon dad came home early, went straight to the kitchen and left the house with three bottles of beer in his hands. He didn't say hello when he woke me up with the sound of his footsteps.

Sadako did show up later.

"Hey chipmunk!" she shouted, "I got what you asked!"

'Holy crap, this girl is loud as hell.'

"Hello," I responded, "how was the academy?"

She pinched my cheeks, hard.

"Nice sunny day, boring teachers, nice lunch. That bitch of a genjutsu instructor made us hold a leaf to our foreheads -not everyone can, mind you- supposedly to improve our illusions and then-"

I blocked the next minute or so of her rambling about girl stuff... you know, what that other girl said, what that other boy thinks of the other girl. It was just too much.

Academy students were learning the leaf sticking exercise at age 11, which gave me a comparison point.

Finishing her rambling, Sadako took a regular looking book out of her backpack and handed it to me.

"This is the book I got from mom. I used it last year to teach my little sister," she said, "and I believe it will help you. She was older than you then, but we both know you are a smart cookie"

She brought her face inches away from mine and poked my nose, "I can see it in your eyes!"

The book cover had a lot of colors and drawings.

"It goes through vocalizations, sounds, people, basic verbs, different types of writing, the whole thing! It's actually quite thorough."

I looked at her.

"Sorry, chipmunk! I can't really help you, you'll have to ask your dad, I train with my mom after checking up on you and I can't miss it."

I smiled, genuinely. This little girl was sweet. Loud and boisterous, yes, but sweet as honey spread over muffins. Anyhow, I'm not asking dad anything.

"Now I'm gonna make snacks and some tea!" she exclaimed skipping to the kitchen.

She talked a lot about simple things before leaving.

* * *

The first part of the book was mostly a collection of pictures regarding animals and actions next to their corresponding symbols and then went on different types of writing, vocalizations, and so on. After I finished reading it, my mind was abruptly filled with information, and, out of the blue, I was able to read and write Japanese.

Ding!

**Quest Completed!  
A reading rainbow.**

**Learn how to read.**

**Rewards:  
+50 Exp, one random scroll  
Small scroll placed in inventory**

"Wow, I feel dizzy."

The rewarded scroll was in fact a jutsu, the "Rope Escape Jutsu – E rank." I selected it and the scroll disappeared from the inventory..

Ding!

**Learn jutsu?**

'Yes.'

Again, my mind was stuffed with information, and the small icon to the right flashed.

Ding!

**Rope Escape Jutsu Learned!**

**Rope Escape Jutsu. Lvl Max.**  
**E rank**  
**\- A jutsu to escape bindings.**  
**50% chance of escaping simple bindings.**  
**Cost: 10 Chakra Points per try.**

Ding!

**You leveled up!**

**Character Status:  
Select an item to view additional information.**

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: n/a  
Age: 4  
Gender: Male  
Level 2 (0/200)**

**HP: 50/50  
SP: 40/40  
Chakra: 166/166  
Chakra Control: 21%**

**STR: 3  
DEX: 3  
VIT: 3  
INT: 8  
WIS: 9  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 2**

**Money: 0**

'Hell yeah!' I exclaimed looking at my new stats, a reward system like that really gets you motivated to go on. Also, from my perspective, the most logical decision was to save those extra points for when I had more information about the whole stats system.

Now that I knew how to read, I could finally start devouring my parent's books. One big bookshelf adorned the wall of the dining room, whilst a second one was in my dad's room. 'Some of those books must contain shinobi information.'

The routine was simple, I would perform the leaf sticking exercise, then meditate until I felt sleepy, and then read a book waiting for my chakra reserves to recover. In time, it would increase my observation and meditation skills and give me more time with the latter before falling asleep.

I took the leaf and some books, mostly on ninja regulations and history, and went to my room.

I had plans for tomorrow. I was going to get out of this house.

Xxx

Morning came with me sitting on my futon reading the core rules of Kumo shinobi It was a bunch on comments about honor, protection and duty. Honor! For Shinobi! 'Bunch of hypocrites the lot of them.'

The leaf sticking exercise was progressing slowly; it was sitting at 68% before gaining a level, only 32% more to go! My meditation skill went up a level, now increasing regeneration rates by 51%.

Dad arrived at some point around midnight, made a bunch of noise and went to his room. He left when the sun came out in full ninja gear, his white jonin vest strapped tightly and his leg pouches full of kunai, a harsh stare on his eyes.

Sadako came to check on me and made me a small breakfast. She rushed to the academy, a worried expression on her face. She also had a full pouch strapped to her right leg.

'Something is definitely happening.'

I went to my dad's room after breakfast and found an extra key chain in my mother's bedside table. It was time to get out of this house and explore the neighborhood.

I took my black coat, which was short and a little tight on the chest, and went out into the street. The cold air kissed with my cheeks; the morning sunlight still cast orange lights on the roofs of the houses. Without thinking too much, I started walking west.

The houses in the neighborhood were all similar, with only slight differences. They all had a small garden in front, in different conditions and one had a second floor improvisedly built.

Already past morning rush hour, the street was fairly clear. Some people -civilians- rushed to their destination while others seemed to be enjoying a morning walk; a mother with her baby wrapped in blankets and some elderly people strolled down the road.

Almost at the end of the street, a local shop boasted the food it offered. Taiyaki, said the sign: fish-shaped bread with different sweet flavors. If I had any money on me, I would have tried one. Two noticeably pregnant women were sitting, whispering between them. The owner must have seen me, as he simply questioned me with an eye smile.

"Hey boy, are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

I smiled "Good morning."

"Where's your mother?"

I just shrugged.

"Do you live here or are you lost?" He asked more worriedly.

"I live five houses back," I pointed with my hand to my house.

Nodding and smiling, he went grabbed something under the counter and handed me a small brown paper bag.

"The first try is free! When you want any type of tea, come around too. The best in the area."

I gave him a big smile.

"No go back home boy, is too early in the morning to be walking outside on your own."

"Thank you, sir."

On my way back home, I saw an old man sitting on a small chair at the front garden of a house. Our eyes met and he greeted me with his hand, smiling serenely.

'Observe.'

**Name: Yataro Sada.  
****Title: ?  
Level: ?  
Age: 72  
Yataro is a former ninja.  
Relationship level: Good.**

'A former ninja?'

He looked like a regular old man yet held observant eyes and an inquisitive look. He was lounging in his chair reading a very thick book, a pipe lying on a small table next to him. He was wearing a gray flannel jacket and black pants, a blue scarf around his neck.

I approached him cautiously.

"Are you Kioshi?"

I looked at him surprised.

"I knew your mother; she was a loving albeit solemn person. I'm sorry for your loss," he continued.

My gaze was fixed to the ground, I never knew how to react to this kind of thing. I didn't know this mother enough to have any kind of feelings for her.

"I'm sorry about your father too," he said, staring at me sternly, "if you're ever hungry, you can always knock on my door. I'm a superb cook, I must say."

It was obvious, wasn't it?

After giving him a appreciative nod, I sat on the grass beside him and opened the paper bag. Inside, there were two taiyaki. I passed one to the old man, I could feel he was a kind soul.

We ate wordlessly. The taiyaki was something odd, but enjoyable. It was stuffed with some sweet paste that I couldn't recognize.

When he finished, he lit his pipe with a snap of his fingers. He caught me staring.

"I am -no, I was- a shinobi." he corrected himself, "I may be far from my prime, but I can still do simple stuff."

He was interrupted by a ninja running over the roofs in the direction of the Raikage's tower.

"Do you know what has been going on?" I asked, "people have been acting... strange."

He looked at me contemplatively sucking the smoke from his pipe.

"Apparently, our peace envoy to Konoha was killed by a Hyuga a few nights ago. The Raikage will demand compensation for it, and until that happens, the village is on alert in case of conflict."

'The Hyuga affair!'

* * *

There was no doubt, Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga clan in Konoha, had been kidnapped. The culprit, a Kumo ninja posing as a peace envoy, was caught and killed by Hinata's father. The Raikage was going to deny any accusation and demand compensations for the murder of one of his envoys.

The compensation: the body of Hiashi Hyuga, Hinata's father and head of the clan, and, thus, Kumo would have his hands on the precious Byakugan, the all-seeing eye, the dojutsu of the Hyuga.

Konoha, however, would send them a surprise. Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, would sacrifice himself in his brother's place. Since Hizashi was not a member of the clan's main family, his cursed seal would, well, seal the byakugan. The clan's head and their dojutsu would be safe and Kumo, humiliated.

This event further clarified where the hell I was timeline wise.

Hinata was three years old, I think, when Kumo attempted to kidnap her. The Kyubi then had already been released from Kushina and Naruto was his new jinchuriki. The Uchiha clan was not yet killed by Itachi, although there was little time left for that to happen. I would believe about two more years. This also meant I was about a year older than Naruto's generation.

I would have to enter the academy as soon as possible; I need to get strong quick. If I want to survive this clusterfuck called Naruto, I'll have to be a beast, a monster. I need to plan all the way up to the fourth shinobi war.

Ding!

**Quest Created:  
Dust away the cobwebs of your mind.**

**Get accepted into the Shinobi Academy.**

**Rewards:  
300 Exp, scrolls.**

**Accept?**

'Accept.'

I still wanted to keep my magnet release a secret, it would be a huge target over my head for my age. In fact, I still had to unlock the kekkei genkai altogether.

'But first things first,' I thought holding the leaf to my forehead back at my room, 'concentrate and meditate.'

* * *

_Author's note:_

_I finished the gross outline of this story, it's looking great, especially when Kioshi goes gray. He's still perplexed by the situation, taking everything one day at a time, but starting to plan ahead. _

_Next chapter: The long way to school._

_Tried to make this chapter a little longer. I'm still playing with the pace of the writing; I don't want it to be a quick scan story nor I want to make it too dense and be boring.  
__Man, editing fiction in english is hard! Preposition usage is horrible. I miss scientific writing.  
Any corrections or grammatical errors or tips you have, I'll be happy to hear/read them. _

_Thank you all for your comments and suggestions!_


	4. Chapter 4: The Last House on the Left

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Last House on the Left.**

The next morning, I asked dad if he could enroll me in the academy. He ignored me as he hurried out. Was he crying?

"You can just go there by yourself and apply, chipmunk!" Sadako said when I asked her that morning, "but you'll need an adult signature! And even then, you might be too young, usually kids are 7 or 8 when they apply. But hey! If you make it, we can both be shinobi and rescue princesses and save villages together! Imagine that!"

She had stars in her eyes.

That was evidently a wrong picture. Shinobi had to kill, they had to do horrible things to follow their own ideals and convictions, to protect those they love or their villages. Look at the sacrifices Itachi had to make for his village and his brother. Or consider Obito, who, in his own way, had done and would continue to do horrible things to achieve his twisted dream. Even Danzo, however cruel he was, had a specific idea in mind that he used to validate his horrendous acts.

Would I be like that, someone who didn't care about the consequences of his acts just to achieve his ambition? Could I avoid pointless killing? After all, wasn't this merely a game? Dying here would not mean a real death, and, if I die here, I wouldn't die in the real world, right?

Back in the real world I preferred to sleep the day away and doing nothing if I had the chance, but here, something compelled me to act, to advance. Was it the overwhelming fear that I could die a violent and hurtful death?

'The body cannot live without the mind.' I remembered that phrase, maybe it applied in this scenario. Nevertheless, I decided I wouldn't risk dying in this world.

"I'll ask at the academy about applications, okay munchkin? Gotta go!" Sadako took off running with a smile and didn't even lock the door on her way out.

* * *

That afternoon, Sadako confirmed that, indeed, I would need the signature of a parent, guardian or a jonin and, if you applied to early enrollment, you had to also pass a small test. 'Anyhow, I still have to wait 7 months to the next entrance ceremony, and I'll need my dad's signature,' I concluded. I kept on training.

The rest of the first month was spent training my observation skill, the leaf concentration exercise and meditating to replenish my chakra. I got them all to level up! My control rose by one percent and I didn't fall asleep while meditating anymore, so no more nightmares.

**Observe increased by five.**

**Observe. Lvl 10. (31%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed. **

**Leaf Concentration increased by one.**

**Leaf Concentration Exercise. Lvl 1. (78%)  
\- A staple of ninja training.  
Increases Chakra control percentage by 1; number of leaves to hold: 1.  
Cost: 8 Chakra Points per minute.**

**Meditation increased by five.**

**Meditation. Lvl 6. (79%)  
\- Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.  
Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 55%.**

I also took some kunai and shuriken –10 of each, to be exact– from dad's unlocked weapons closet. It was dusty and messy, so I didn't think he would miss them.

**Regular Steel Kunai.  
Regular shinobi grade kunai.  
Quality: Normal.  
Damage: Str X 2.**

**Regular Steel Shuriken.  
Regular shinobi grade shuriken.  
Quality: Normal.  
Damage: Str X 1. **

Items had an inherent quality, a pretty standard thing in RPG games. Did legendary items exist? 'That would be really cool.'

Kunai practice was a lot of thrusting and shadow blocking, but I didn't have anything to throw the shuriken at without Sadako or dad noticing holes around the house or a pesky neighbor telling on me. I was stuck with throwing shurikens and kunai to the wall in my room. I even drew a bullseye in the wall, alas, the room was too small. I got slightly better at weapon handling, but I didn't get any related skill, which was weird. I couldn't really know how much I advanced.

I never got my dad to retrieve the admissions papers form the academy let alone sign them, even though I asked every morning. Sometimes at night, when he did come home sober and before his daily drinking routine, he promised he would get the papers and sign them for me. After the third time, I didn't expect anything anymore.

Something was wrong with dad. His gaze was empty, his mind seemed to stray further away every day. My mother's death must have been terrible for him to not deal with the present, to neglect his son in this way. I couldn't say it hurt me, nope. As far as I was concerned, he was not my real father, nor have we ever had a close relationship. I regretted not knowing much about him or mom, but perhaps it was already too late. Dad was a broken man; he lost his purpose in life and decided to drink himself into stupor. He couldn't cope with the world without alcohol. It had nothing to do with me, nothing to do with his personal choices. He was a shattered man doing the best he could to keep trudging along.

Still, the problem persisted: where could I get an adult signature? Without much thought, I went to old man Yataro's. That morning like the last one, he was sitting on his wooden chair reading a book, his pipe fuming in his mouth and his long blue scarf around his neck. The cold of the autumn morning didn't disturb him much.

"Good morning," he said without taking his eyes from his book, "what brings you here, boy?"

I sat in the grass at his side, gazing at the cloudless sky.

"I need a signature to apply to the shinobi academy."

He seemed to quickly understand the issue.

"Get the papers and I can sign them without much trouble. I may be retired now, but I was a Kumo jonin for a few years before I had to withdraw from the system."

I nodded appreciatively. What had made the old man retire? If he was a jonin only for a few years, he must have withdrawn from the shinobi force quite some time ago.

We remained silent for the rest of the hour, apparently enjoying each other's company.

Sadako eventually got me a copy of the entry form to the academy and, with old man Yataro's signature, she handed them over to the academy's admissions office. I would get an answer a few weeks before the start of the next academic year in another seven months.

I spent the rest of the following months busy reading and training. The books in my parents' bookshelves covered different topics. Hand signs, chakra theory, introduction to nature transformation and shape manipulation, shurikenjutsu and kunai styles, different types of basic taijustsu katas, kenjutsu katas, survival techniques, body training for shinobi, etc. Most of the books were thin and dealt with foundational topics, the book dealing with chakra on the other hand was thick and looked old.

The book on chakra described a lot of things I already knew from reading the manga. It explained chakra formation in the human body, how to channel it to different areas of the body and the role of tenketsu, and how it's transformed and manipulated. Interestingly, the chakra system was, in fact, a system like the nervous or lymphatic systems all human beings have. There were even deformities and diseases, some even fatal. Chakra was also variable among people. Its color, density and other properties were specific to each individual and reflected, in one way or the other, the personality of the shinobi, giving them a "chakra signature".

The most interesting things about chakra were its properties, and I was definitely playing with them later on. Apparently, to achieve different outcomes, you could change the chakra's density, its temperature and another badly explained property that I could only assume was viscosity. Essentially, chakra behaved like a fluid! A freaking fluid! And apparently, shinobi didn't understand the concept of viscosity very well. Did chakra behave like a liquid or a gas? How would it react to pressure variations? What was the relationship between its temperature and its viscosity or density? From what I gathered, this world doesn't follow the same physics laws as in the real world – I mean, you could literally breathe out a massive wall of fire – and I was looking forward to experimenting.

The book 'Introduction to nature transformation and shape manipulation' was rather brief, but it talked about the different types of training that must be done to succeed in transforming the nature of molded chakra. It reviewed how to control the different elements, with a special emphasis on lightning and how to avoid being damaged by your own lightning jutsu. It was a Kumo book alright.

It depicted how to change the shape of chakra itself once you've already transformed its nature and gave some examples of lightning jutsu, like how to go from a lightning bolt to a lightning sphere. I knew in advance that one could change the shape of raw chakra before transforming its nature, the rasengan being the foremost example, and that the better chakra control a shinobi had, the easier it was to manipulate its shape. I needed a more exhaustive reading material and maybe some testing too.

The other book showed how hand signs are used to accelerate the formation of a jutsu. Generally speaking, for a jutsu to be executed correctly, chakra had to be molded in a specific way, particular to each technique, even before transforming its nature or manipulating its shape. Since manipulating chakra through willpower alone could take precious time in battle, hand signs were used to mold chakra faster. Each sign represented a common way of moving or shaping the chakra, and the combination of different hand signs helped mold chakra into the required form to execute the related jutsu. Hand signs could also help speed up nature transformation and shape manipulation.

So, could you perform any jutsu as far as you knew the hand signs? Or could you improvise sequences and see what, if anything, comes out? In fact, no. Hand signs were rather rough, they didn't mold chakra by themselves, they just ease up the process; one must know in advance how to mold the chakra. In fact, that's how the sharingan's copy system worked, I supposed. Not only should the Uchicha be able to trace hand sign movements, they should also be able to see the structuring and molding of the opponent's chakra.

Be that as it may, hand signs might not be required given a high enough chakra control and mastery of the jutsu. Nevertheless, and the book never emphasized on it, some jutsu inevitably require the use of hand signs.

The other books where more technical, although they did give me skills!

The shuriken and kunai books displayed the correct positions of the body, hands and arms to launch kunai and shuriken, how to wield them in hand to hand combat, how to sharpen them, etc., There was also a short kenjutsu book.

**Skill Created:**

**Beginner's Bukijutsu: Short Blades. Lvl 1. (1%)  
\- The basics of any respectable blade style.  
Increases damage and accuracy by 1% when using kunai and other short blades.  
**

**Skill Created:**

**Shurikenjutsu. Lvl 1. (1%)  
Increases shuriken damage and accuracy by 1%.**

**Skill Created:**

**Beginner's Kenjutsu. Lvl 1. (1%)  
\- The basics of any respectable sword style.  
Increases sword damage by 1%.**

The taijutsu book showed katas, positions and common corrections of a basic taijutsu style, along with a lot of exercises to further develop neuro-muscular memory, strength and dexterity.

**Skill Created:**

**Beginner's Taijutsu. Lvl 1. (1%)  
\- The foundation of any respectable style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 1%.**

Another book described shinobi training during his/her growth. It stated that 5 years old was an acceptable age to start muscular training and that it was common for shinobi infants to exhibit enough mental maturity to meditate and discover their chakra at 6 years of age. The book mentioned that katas and other exercises could be performed at any age if the child had the necessary fine motor skills. Hard training didn't affect growth or sexual development, the incidence and severity of injuries was low regardless of age if the exercise was performed correctly, and the usage of chakra usually reduced injury risk. Hence, I was wrong about training... I could do katas, exercises and use my chakra without considerable risks, even if I was freaking 5, as long as I didn't overdo it.

All these books and training possibilities defined the day to day routine of the following months. Whenever my chakra filled up, I stuck leaves to my forehead until my chakra was almost depleted; I meditated for about half an hour, and then performed taijutsu katas - sometimes with kunai in my hands - and practiced shurikenjutsu in my room. Rinse and repeat.

Taijutsu katas where simple; some hits, some chops and some kicks. At first, it was difficult to get the positions right. I had to correct everything, the position of my elbow when thrusting my arm, my balance when kicking and blocking, starting the movement from my feet and through my hips. But, quickly, neuromuscular memory came into play. Not a week later I could do the initial katas with my eyes closed, only correcting minor movements.

These taijutsu katas in addition to the physical exercises in the books -twisted versions of pushups and jumping squats- made me realize the differences between a normal body and a chakra-infused shinobi-bred body. I was stronger, faster, more resilient and had more energy than ever. Even when I trained 4 days a week in college back in the real world, I couldn't do 100 pushups or 100 one legged squats in a row. I mean, I could now maintain a one armed lever for minutes, or do a one armed handstand without assist!

With my skills advancing, I looked for whatever jutsu I could find in the bookshelves. It turns out that the only jutsu I found was a small scroll forgotten in the corner and covered in dust. It was a genjutsu scroll, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique. If my memory served me right, it was the genjutsu Kakashi used on Sakura during their genin test. The instructions on the scroll were clear and concise, teaching how to mold chakra, the corresponding hand signs and describing how the opponent's mind was affected; causing a disturbance in their senses and irregularities in their chakra flow. There was a sound when I finished reading the scroll.

Ding!

**Learn jutsu?**

I accepted, and the scroll disappeared from my hands. Just like that, no light, no particles, no Zelda tune. It simply faded away. It appears that the game differentiates between scrolls and books. I could absorb jutsu from scrolls and learn skills from books, but books didn't disappear when read them. Was it because how they were written, or it was just game mechanics?

**Demonic Illusion:** **Hell Viewing Technique Learned!**

**Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique. Lvl 1 (1%).  
D rank  
\- A simple genjutsu that shows the victim its greatest fear.  
Requirements: 20% Chakra control.  
Cost: 20 Chakra Points.**

The only problem with genjutsu is that I didn't have anyone to practice it. I wouldn't do it to civilians, and neither could I find that fat cat I saw roaming around the neighborhood the other day.

I also trained the Observation skill. Some afternoons I walked to old man Yataro's house, sat with him and observed everything that moved. People, birds, even the occasional shinobi running on the roofs.

We spent most of our time in silence, apparently enjoying each other's company. I didn't want to accept it, but I needed human contact, even if it was silent.

"Do you know about chakra?" He asked one day.

I nodded.

He passed me a leaf from a bush to his left. Understanding what he wanted, I held the leaf to my forehead with chakra.

"Good, you're doing well."

And somehow, I felt proud of myself.

* * *

A month before the entrance to the academy, old Yataro had an empty chair next to him and a small table with a teapot and two cups. Without much thought, I sat down and poured both cups.

"In the left corner of the street," he said, "there is an old house, abandoned some years ago. It has a serious rat infestation problem. When I was young, we practiced our jutsu with what we found. Rats, birds, squirrels, insects… the best way to improve your skills is to test them against a living enemy."

"I think you have a lot of future, boy." He continued after exhaling a puff of smoke. "If your eyes show something, it's intelligence and sparkle. But remember, shinobi are weapons of war first, and protectors, second."

Ding!

**Quest Created:  
It's all in a mouse's night.**

**Clear the rat infestation.**

**Rewards:  
200 Exp, leveled loot.  
Accept?**

Of course, I accepted. I was not going to pass 200 experience points and leveled loot. This quest was the first one to include some killing and it was an opportunity to check the reward system of this game.

I drank my tea and said my goodbyes to old man Yataro, I had things to prepare.

The next afternoon, I was ready. Black pants, my blue shirt, my blue shoes, black coat and scarf, and 10 kunai and 10 shuriken in my inventory. After 5 very productive months, my skills were now at an acceptable point. That much training and reading had also improved my stats too, STR and DEX went up by 2 points, INT by 3 and WIS and VIT by one point, this also increased my Chakra and Chakra Control. The Leaf concentration exercise leveled up to 5 so my Chakra Control was up to 29%, and the constant depletion and regeneration increased my chakra by additional 15 points. I felt confident about this quest.

**Character Status:  
Select an item to view additional information.**

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: n/a  
Age: 4  
Gender: Male  
Level 2 (0/200)**

**HP: 60/60  
SP: 56/56  
Chakra: 200/200  
Chakra Control: 29%**

**STR: 5  
DEX: 5  
VIT: 4  
INT: 11  
WIS: 10  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 2**

**Money: 0**

**Leaf Concentration Exercise. Lvl 5. (21%)  
\- A staple of ninja training.  
Increases Chakra control percentage by 5 percent; number of leaves to hold: 3.  
Cost: 8 Chakra Points per minute.**

**Meditation. Lvl 12. (17%)  
\- Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.  
Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 61%. **

**Observe. Lvl 15. (73%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.**

**Beginner's Bukijutsu: Short Blades. Lvl 10. (47%)  
\- The basics of any respectable blade style.  
Increases damage and accuracy by 10% when using kunai and other short blades.**

**Shurikenjutsu. Lvl 5. (81%)  
Increases shuriken damage and accuracy by 5%.**

**Beginner's Taijutsu. Lvl 12. (14%)  
\- The foundation of any respectable style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 12%.**

The house in question was similar to mine, but you could certainly tell it was abandoned. The doors and windows were boarded up, the outer paneling was deteriorating, the ceiling already had some holes and the grass in the small front garden was overgrown.

I jumped the small fence without much trouble and found a window, which overlooked the kitchen, that seemed wobbly enough to be forced. I had to try something first.

Mentally, I withdraw a kunai from my inventory. Without any noise or smoke a kunai materialized in my hand. 'This is going to be extremely useful.'

I forced the planks covering the window with another piece of wood that laid nearby and looked inside. The kitchen was dark, some light entered through the opened window, and some beams of light slipped through the other poorly covered ones. Stalled air entered my nostrils, the smell of humidity. There was also an easily recognizable scent there, the smell of rat feces.

In a single movement, I jumped inside the kitchen. A small orb of blue light suddenly materialized in front of me, bathing everything with an angelic halo.

Ding!

**Dungeon Found!**

**Dungeon level: 1.  
Enemies: rats.**

**Enter?**

'Well, let's go. Accept.'

The orb disappeared, the window I entered from now emitted a dim blue light. 'The exit from the dungeon?' I wondered.

I approached another kitchen window, between the wood planks you could see the street, the sun above and no clouds in the sky. The outside looked dead, neither birds nor the normal noise of an urban street could be heard. Nothing. There was a dome of blurred light surrounding the house, it looked like a barrier, like those that stop you from leaving an area in a game.

Before testing that theory, I heard the distinctive sound of small legs scurrying against the wooden floor. I turned to the source. A dirty gray rat with red-eyed, big as a small cat, had just come out of a crumbling cupboard in the middle of the kitchen.

'Observe.'

**Big Rat.  
Level: 2.  
\- A common dungeon rat.**

'Oh, it's on.'

Instantly, I withdrew one shuriken from my inventory and flung it at the rat. It sliced its back and impaled in the wall behind.

**Hit!  
5 DMG.**

The rat shrieked loudly and jumped up to my neck showing its large front teeth.

Quickly, I withdrew two kunai from my inventory, one to each hand. Moving my right hand in an arc, I threw a kunai towards the incoming creature. My left hand held the other kunai in front of my body.

**Hit!  
11 DMG.**

The thrown kunai cut off the right front leg of the rat and stuck in its side in the middle of his jump. Bending my body to the left, the rat flew past me and slammed into one of the wooden planks covering the window behind me. It fell to the floor, still writhing and screaming.

I threw the kunai in my hand before it had the chance to get up.

**Hit!  
11 DMG. **

**Rat Killed.  
5 Exp awarded.**

I went over to check the rat's body. A faint beam of white light shone above the corpse. I moved the corpse with my foot to find some silver coins.

Yep, rats dropped coins. I had money! And just when I was thinking about stealing from dad. The little bastard dropped 200 ryo, which I gladly placed in my inventory.

I picked up my two kunai and my shuriken and cleaned them against my pants. The kitchen looked empty, so I opened the door to move into the dining room. It made a loud screeching noise, and two more rats emerged from below the dining room table, baring their fangs at me.

I swiftly threw one shuriken with each hand. One connected with the left rat, piercing its back and making it stop dead on its track.

**Hit!  
5 DMG.**

The other rat dashed towards me. I threw a kunai to its right, which made it dodge to the left. I was expecting that, so I violently kicked the rat on its side.

**Hit!  
8 DMG.  
Stun applied.**

That was nice, it crashed against the back wall with a nasty shriek and slumped down.

The first rat was coming for me, with the shuriken still lodged in its back. It leaped and tried to bite my right leg. I sidestepped and thrusted my kunai into its skull.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
55 DMG. **

**Rat Killed.  
5 Exp awarded.**

The stunned rat on the back was starting to get up, so I ran up to it. I stomped down at its skull with my foot, hard.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
40 DMG. **

**Rat Killed.  
5 Exp awarded.**

'Holy crap, that was awesome.' From the rats I killed so far, I estimated they had around 20 HP, which was rather low. I wouldn't want to get bitten by those huge teeth, anyway, so the faster they die...

Before I could celebrate, I heard movement under an empty bookshelf on the other side of the living room. 'Now is the time to try this jutsu.' My hands flashed through the required hand signs.

Snake, Rat: 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.'

**-68 Chakra.**

The new rat, that had just come out from under the bookshelf, turned its head to the side, shivering and baring its fangs to some unknown entity. I ran to her and drove my kunai into its head.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
55 DMG. **

**Rat Killed.  
5 Exp awarded.**

'This genjutsu is nice', I though while recovering my weapons and collected more money from the rat bodies, I could still use it once before I had to wait for my chakra to replenish. I was down to 9 shuriken now, one of them broke when I missed the second rat in this room.

The next part of the house was the hallway that connected the bedrooms and bathrooms to the dining room. The moldy smell and the rat scent were getting stronger. The walls were covered with rodent scratches and moisture stains.

Behind the first door, the bathroom, a rat dropped from the ceiling, surprising me and biting my shoulder.

**-5 HP! **

I quickly punched it away and stab it in the head with a thrown kunai.

In the next room I killed two other rats, disabling one with my genjutsu and distracting them with shuriken, only to plunge kunai into their skulls.

Finally, only the main bedroom remained. Before moving on, I checked my shoulder. The rat's teeth punctured my shoulder somewhat deeply, the wound was bleeding a little. Putting pressure on it, I waited for about 10 minutes. I needed to recover some chakra to be able to cast the Hell Viewing jutsu once more. I was also a little winded and, in fact, my SP points dropped to about half with all the fighting. I needed to take into consideration my stamina in long fights.

In about 10 minutes, the bite stopped bleeding. It didn't hurt neither, Gamer's body must have eliminated any residual pain. My chakra was up to 78 points which was enough for a genjutsu and my SP recovered by 20 points. It was time to get back into the fight.

Without much thought, I slowly opened the moldy door of the last bedroom. The pungent smell of rat feces hit my nostrils. The room was a dirty and messy. There was a big old wooden bed at the center of the room and a sizeable hole in the mattress, bordered by what was left of the dirty bed linen.

**Quest Updated:  
Great king rat was a dirty old man.**

**Kill the Rat Boss.**

**Rewards:  
100 Exp, leveled loot.  
Accept?**

'A boss! Hell yeah! Accept.'

From the hole in the mattress a huge rat poked its black head, red eyes opened and big teeth displayed. Hissing, the creature crawled out of its hiding hole; it was the size of a fat medium dog, with unkept black fur and a revolting smell.

'Observe'

**Rat Boss.  
Level: 3.  
\- A chakra mutated black rat.**

Gnarling, the rat boss jumped to me. I tried diving to the left but collided with a worn out dressing table.

**-15 HP!**

I got bitten hard in my right thigh. Quickly, I swung my kunai in the rat's direction.

It avoided the swing and sprung back snarling. Taking advantage of it, I casted my jutsu.

Snake, Rat: 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.'

**-68 Chakra.**

The rat's eyes glazed over and it started to shiver.

I was slightly panting, that genjutsu used a big chunk of my chakra reserves. The wound on my leg wasn't hurting, but I could feel it stinging. I needed to finish this quickly.

I threw 2 shurikens and then withdrew two kunai. One shuriken missed, but the other went straight through the rat's eye.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
25 DMG**.

With a loud screech, the rat boss snarled at me and dashed. I flung a kunai ahead of its path and a little to the left, anticipating its dodging to the right, I threw the other. The rat boss was forced to jump at me or risk getting skewered by the kunai, so I roundhouse kicked it and sent it soaring to the other side of the room. The creature crashed head-first with the bedroom wall and fell to the floor.

**Hit!  
8 DMG.  
Stun applied.**

Before the rat boss could recover, I charged, withdrawing another kunai. I rammed it on its skull.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
55 DMG.**

The rat boss laid on the floor of the room, barely breathing, its single working eye glaring at me.

I pushed the kunai further into its skull.

Ding!

**Dungeon Boss defeated.  
Quest Completed.**

**Rewards:  
100 Exp,  
1000 ryo,  
Rat pendant.**

Ding!

**Dungeon Cleared.**

**Rewards:  
200 Exp,  
2000 ryo,  
10 explosive notes.**

Ding!

**Level up!**

**Character Status:  
Select an item to view additional information.**

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: n/a  
Age: 4  
Gender: Male  
Level 3 (135/600)**

**HP: 50/70  
SP: 66/66  
Chakra: 212/212  
Chakra Control: 30%**

**STR: 6  
DEX: 6  
VIT: 5  
INT: 12  
WIS: 11  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 4**

**Money: 4400**

First thing first: leveling up healed everything but my HP. I took my scarf and tied it around the wound in my right thigh. It would have to do for now, because before I leave this place and get my shit together, I'm searching every damn corner for loot, RPG style.

* * *

_Author's note:_

_Long chapter this time, expect the next one to be a little delayed. _

_The descent to a darker character will happen after graduating; for now, Kioshi is dealing with a day to day monotony and discovering this weird world._

_Team, sensei and overall history are already decided, but I'm always open to suggestions. Please, tell me if you spot any typos or grammar issues._

_Thank you all for your comments and suggestions!_


	5. Chapter 5: Cast Away

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Cast Away**

One interesting thing about the rat dungeon was that absolutely no time passed inside. I spent a couple of hours killing the rats and searching the house for loot, but the sun was at the same position in the sky when I came out, so were the birds singing in the tree. That actually made sense; anyone who saw me enter the dungeon would merely see me pause for maybe a second but nothing more. There weren't any signs of fighting inside the house, not even the drawers I left open when registering the place remained open when I left the dungeon. Did this mean that I could spend as much time as I wanted inside a dungeon? Could I practice jutsu without drawing attention?

On the other hand, I later confirmed that the dungeon resets every week. When I went to see if there were more rats to practice my genjutsu, that orb of blue light was floating again near the window. I didn't get the associated quests during the subsequent visits; I assumed they only appeared the first time. But still, I gained experience by killing the rats and the rat boss again. Each week it was a little easier for me, and every time I accumulated a little more money and items.

I cleared the dungeon three more times while waiting for a word from the academy, and I got some interesting items.

The rat bosses dropped quite a few nice quality items I was certainly going to use.

**Rat pendant.  
\- Red eyes are looking at you.  
+2 to DEX while wearing this item.**

**High Quality ninja gloves.  
\- Simple shinobi gloves, plated on the back.  
Quality: High.**

**Life Elixir.  
\- A rare potion of healing.  
Heals 100 HP, cures bleeding and any other status effects.**

The life elixir was a small glass vial with, not surprisingly, a glowing red liquid inside. Since it cured more than my current full HP, I guessed it was valuable. Also, the 'rare' in the description was a blatant sign.

The rat pendant was a small wooden rat figurine dangling from a thin leather cord, with little red gemstones as eyes –rubies, I believed. I wore it around my neck, and, as the item stated, my DEX increased by 2 points.

The gloves were similar to those dad wore; they had a metal plate on the back of the hand, shinobi style, and fitted quite well for my age. I would grow out of them soon.

The other rats dropped mostly money. I got a total of 4,500 ryo and 125 EXP points. Not too shabby

However, the dungeon was mostly empty after clearing it. Apart from some old cutlery, linens and such, I found two usable things: a scroll and a kunai holster.

The kunai holster was sitting in an old locker, and, oddly, it was in perfect condition. It was made from black leather and could hold 5 kunai. I assumed it was important to have, else people might wonder how a child could summon kunai directly to its hand. The holster was too big for my leg though; I would have to wait to grow up a little before using it.

The scroll I found had a jutsu: the transformation jutsu.

**Transformation Technique. Lvl 1 (1%).  
E rank.  
\- An illusion technique.  
Requirements: 10% Chakra control.  
Cost: 5 Chakra Points per minute.**

With my chakra levels and my chakra control I could hold a transformation for a little longer than 12 minutes. Just another reminder to keep refining my chakra control.

During that dungeon diving time, I also trained and got 2 points in dexterity, one in strength and one in intelligence.

There was one other thing I was anxious about: my magnet release. At first, I meditated for hours trying to 'feel' a kunai in front of me. All in all, they were made of iron or steel, right? But my efforts were futile, in all three months the only thing I achieved with my kekkei genkai was a shitload of frustration and seething.

Before I knew it, it was my birthday. I didn't realize until Sadako's megawatt smile and her small gift tipped me off and, as expected, my status page now specified 5 years old.

Sadako gave me a big hug and pinched my cheeks that morning.

"Good morning chipmunk! Hey, I got something for you!" she said handling me a small package, "I made them myself!"

The package contained the most horrible cookies I ever tasted, in both worlds. They were dry as desert sand and tasted so freaking salty. Even the chocolate chips were salty as fuck. I didn't need to eat or drink, but I downed two big glasses of water after that.

Of course, I swallowed a couple in front of Sadako, smiling. Her smile widened even more, if that was possible.

I didn't see my dad that morning; it looked like he was still avoiding me these last months. He continued his routine, drinking, working for reasonable hours for a shinobi, then drinking again, eating something if he remembered and finally sleeping. I couldn't remember any conversation with him other than some monosyllables and polite greetings. At least he remembered to leave me lunch or dinner almost every day, even if it was overcooked rice and I didn't need to eat at all.

Continuing my daily life, I went every other day to old man Yataro's. Sitting next to him, I trained the leaf concentration exercise and my observation skill when my chakra went low enough.

Another thing worth of notice was the skill I got after one of rat bashing sprees. I wanted to try a stealth approach, so I tried to stick to the shadows and go undetected before engaging the rats.

**Stealth. Lvl 1. (1%)  
\- The shinobi art of concealment.  
75% chance of going undetected, -1% per each level below the target.**

And so, day after day I trained, every night I meditated and week after week I cleared the rat dungeon.

After one of the visits to the rat dungeon one afternoon, there was a knock in my door. It was old man Yataro.

I never saw him standing before, so I was a little surprised to see a wooden peg leg where his right limb was supposed to be. I guessed that was the reason he retired from active shinobi duty.

"Hey boy," he said with a solemn face, "I got a letter today. Next Monday the academy is starting again, and they are taking the entrance test for advanced students; you are required to be there at 9 am sharp."

I was time!

"I believe you are more than ready to start your shinobi career but, any question you have or any help you need... I'm there for you kid." Yataro had a slight smile and an unfocused gaze. There was a story there.

"Thank you, for everything."

He nodded and left. I should have offered him some tea, but to be honest, I didn't know if we had any.

* * *

That Monday morning, a grayish and cold one, I walked with Sadako to the academy to take the entrance examinations.

Cute girl still came to visit me in the mornings despite being on vacation this last month. Her parents, she told me, were both shinobi and wouldn't get vacations for another two months. So, she was working at her auntie´s carriage repairing shop to make some pocket money and trained in the afternoons.

The walk to the academy was interesting. It was the first time I adventured outside my little street. My house was in a small valley between the mountain peaks. The different valleys and summits were connected to each other by an intricate system of bridges and stairs. Two main roads headed north, climbing towards the Raikage tower. In each adjacent summit there were round platforms that supported different buildings, one of which, encircling the peak closest to the tower, was the academy.

I was a big round concrete building, second only to the Raikage's tower. It wasn't painted, so the building contrasted interestingly with the brown-gray color of the rocky peaks. As most mountain buildings in Kumo, the ceiling was used as a platform for people to walk on. Some buildings had restaurants and the like while some had observation towers; one could sometimes see shinobi inside them.

After about 20 minutes of walking, climbing some stairs and crossing some bridges, we arrived at the academy.

Outside, roughly 30 children with their respective parents or guardians waited, they looked between 6 to 8 years old. Some parents talked with each other; others talked to their children. A group of 5 children joined the crowd, guided by two women dressed in white. 'Orphans,' I thought. In a militarized society like this, it was expected that there would be a significant number of orphans.

"You have to wait with the group, chipmunk," Sadako told me, "but don't worry, you will do well. I know you might be nervous, just remember it's just a test to evaluate your potential as a shinobi and to decide if you are ready to start so young. Good luck!" She hugged me and ran to the entrance, greeting another laughing girl.

Some of the aspiring students were looking me with questioning or teasing faces. Some shinobi parents too, but I couldn't recognize anyone. Maybe if I have chosen Konoha back at the start I would be able to recognize someone or their clan. Here in Kumo, all I knew was that kekkei genkai were uncommon and that Ranton, the storm release, seemed to proliferate outside of blood relations or clan affiliations.

From Sadako's rambles during her visits, there were some important clans in Kumo; groups with blood ties and some secret jutsus involved, but that's it. Without a recognizable kekkei genkai or obvious secret jutsus like the Aburame or the Nara, clans were not such an important thing in the shinobi force.

"Children!" a voice bellowed from the academy entrance, "if you would please come closer."

We all approached the entrance.

"Is anyone applying who's younger than 8 years old?" A young-looking shinobi, wearing the standard blue attire and a white vest, asked from the door frame.

I raised my hand, three others raised beside me.

"Okay, you four please come with me."

I walked through the murmuring kids to the entrance.

"Follow me," he said, gesturing us to enter the academy. He guided us a typical classroom -tables, chairs and a chalkboard- and stood in the front. The four of us stood in front of him.

"Okay children, first of all we are going to-" the instructor's eyes fixated on me, looking me up and down. "How old are you?"

'Observe.'

**Name: Shozaburo Hirano.  
Title: Academy teacher.  
Level: 43  
Age: 25  
Shozaburo is an instructor at Kumo's ninja academy  
Relationship level: Bad.**

He was wearing a kumo vest and I could see his level, so he was probably a chunin. Also, he disliked me for whatever reason.

"Five."

He looked at me for a second more and continued.

"Right," he said taking a notepad, "let's get on with the list."

"Taisuke Sanda?"

"Here!" a kid with dark red hair raised his hand. He looked at the instructor with glistening eyes and anxiousness in his voice.

"Tsutomu Aoki?"

Another kid raised his hand. This one was taller than the others, with spiky white hair and a scar on the left of his neck and a boring expression on his face.

"Kumi Kanegawa?"

"Here, sensei," the girl on my left murmured. She had black eyes and dark green hair down to her shoulder blades. What was wrong with hair color in this world?

"Kioshi Shirasu?"

I raised my hand.

"Well the, you're the early enrollment bunch. Some of you I know from your families," the instructor said smiling at the girl, "but anyhow, you all need to pass a special test to check if your physical and mental capabilities are enough to enter the shinobi academy."

"First, make a handstand for 20 seconds."

We all did.

"Next, throw 10 alternating punches, then 10 alternating kicks."

The instructor observed attentively while we performed the requested drills.

"Now, go sit down and I'll give you some paper. Write down the answer to these questions," he said while giving us some paper, ink and a brush each. "Which are the five great villages? How many shinobi wars have been? Who is the leader of Kumogakure? How is chakra produced?"

We all wrote the answers. By the way, my calligraphy was horrible; I'll have to work on that.

"Now, I'll draw a sequence of 8 figures in the chalkboard. You have to figure out the ninth and draw it down."

He drew eight shapes with squares, triangles and circles, each with a combination of dots and dashes. It was easy to deduce the ninth; a triangle with two dashes.

"Now you have to find the next number of this sequence."

He wrote a sequence of 6 numbers, an incremental sum. The correct answer was 28.

"Finally, write the answer to this question: What's the 32 percent of two hundred?"

Holy fuck, this test was easy. Well, it was designed for kids. Shinobi kids, sure, but kids nonetheless.

After writing down the last answer, I handed over my answer sheet with the other kids. The examiner checked each paper and continued.

"Now, can any of you use Chakra?"

The green haired girl and I raised our hands.

"Show me." He said, looking at me.

I swiftly went through the required hand signs of a jutsu.

Snake, Rat: 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.'

The instructor's eyes glazed for a fraction of a second and then he looked at me annoyed.

"Genjutsu at 5?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

I nodded.

He turned to the girl.

"Your turn, Kumi."

"Ehm... sensei, do you have a leaf?" she asked.

The instructor ripped a piece of paper from one of the answer sheets and handed it to her. Taking a deep breath, she held the piece of paper to her forehead with a finger and, a couple of seconds later, the paper held by itself.

"You all are recommended for an early enrollment, but both of you," he said looking at the two other boys of the group, "don't have the attributes to justify an early entrance."

The red-haired kid ran out the classroom with an angry expression, while the other walked to the door sniffling.

"Kumi, report to class 201. The other students should be there by now."

"Thank you, sensei." The girl smiled and bowed, then darted out of the classroom.

"Kioshi Shirasu," the instructor began, looking at me with a severe expression, "five years old, recommended by Yataro Sada, jonin, previously known to work for the Intelligence Department of Kumo as an external adviser and later for the Shinobi Research Institute. You are the son of Denji Shirasu, jonin, widower, long range specialist and, lately, taking local patrol duties. Your mother was Chiharu Shirasu, jonin, wind element expert -something rare in Kumo. She died two years ago from a bone marrow disease."

He breathed in slowly, narrowing his eyes at me, before continuing gravely.

"Then we have you, five years old and trying to enter the shinobi academy. Why do you want to be a shinobi?"

I looked at his inquisitive eyes. He was fishing for a particular answer, so I gave him the obvious one.

"To protect Kumo and those I care about."

He scoffed.

"Kids like you are labeled geniuses, prodigies and such by your teachers and other shinobi. You loathe the idea of learning a lesson like your peers do, you disobey orders, you look down on everyone, you grow fast only to later become stagnant. Kids like you get themselves and their teammates killed. Go to classroom 301, take this permission." He violently handed me a note and walked away.

I stared at the door he just left, thinking about what he said. Pride, fear, anxiety, comfort... those are the things that keep you stagnant. I already lived with them before, I can't -I won't- let them rule me this time. Not again.

'Fuck you too, asshole.'

Ding!

**Quest Completed!  
Dust away the cobwebs of your mind.**

**Get accepted into the Shinobi Academy.**

**Rewards:  
300 Exp, Clone Technique scroll.**

Honestly, I forgot about that quest, but experience points are always welcomed. I was just 40 EXP points short of leveling up, which was nice. I wouldn't open my inventory or summon the scroll while in the academy, too risky.

I walked to the third floor of the academy and entered my assigned classroom, where I would, again, suffer the obscurity of school life.

Taking a deep breath and opening the door, I was greeted by a tall and bald individual wearing a standard kumo chunin vest over black clothes.

"Ehm... hello? Are you a student?"

I handed him the note.

"Okay, go and sit down wherever. We were just starting."

'Observe.'

**Name: Shinzo Kawasie.  
Title: Senior academy instructor.  
Level: 51  
Age: 38  
Shinzo is an instructor from Kumo's ninja academy.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

I sat down in an empty spot in the middle row and observed the other students. I counted 21 kids, all older than me, and couldn't recognize any of them. The manga never really showed academy life in other villages.

Most of the kids had the standard Kumo skin color, varied hair styles and colors and some clan markings or tattoos. All were between 7 and 8 years old, one girl on the front was 9.

"Welcome everyone to Kumo's shinobi academy," the instructor began with a smile, "I am Shinzo Kawasie and I'll be your instructor for the next four years. Most of you come from shinobi families, and some of you from clans, so you might know already some sort of taijutsu form. Nevertheless, we'll teach you the basics of shinobi life; history, mathematics, and such, and we'll work your physical strength and flexibility before moving to applied taijutsu. By the end of the year, all of you must be able to feel your chakra."

Shinzo sensei turned around and started writing names on the blackboard.

"Let's talk about Kumo's history..."

* * *

That day, being the first, we were dismissed before lunch. The children rushed out to greet their waiting parents or guardians, smiles on their faces.

Unfortunately, I didn't know the way home, so I had to wait for Sadako to accompany me. I still had to get a map of the village.

Without much thought, I walked through the halls of the academy looking for a library and, indeed, the academy had a small simple library. It was a medium sized room, with bookshelves on the walls and three long tables and benches.

At the entrance, behind a small desk, was the librarian. After convincing the old woman that I was truly a student and that I had just entered despite my age - the pass that jerk instructor gave me helped - she let me in. I wouldn't be able to take out any books without my own academic credential, so until then I had to settle for reading at one of the tables.

The library had, obviously, academy level books: history of the elemental nations, history of Kumo, great figures, politics, etc. I couldn't find a single jutsu scroll.

Taking the first book, one about Kumo's story, I sat down and began to read.

I noticed some time ago that I could remember whatever I read perfectly and almost instantly. I believe it had something to do with the gamer's mind. Be that as it may, I spent the afternoon with two other dense texts on the history of nations, their foundation and archaeological essays about their origins.

Ten minutes before four in the afternoon, I stood at the entrance of the academy waiting for Sadako.

"How was your first day at the academy, chipmunk?" She asked.

"Boring, but fine."

"Yes, at first it is all so boring. But then you start studying about different types of jutsus. Did you know that medical shinobi are scarce? The only village that has at least a semi-decent system of shinobi doctors is Konoha. No wonder, after creating legends like Tsunade! Here in Kumo there are so few shinobi doctors that they only heal extreme cases. I wonder about the mortality of high profile missions-"

"You want to be a medical shinobi?" I interrupted looking at her.

"Yes! But I don't think I can. I don't have the necessary Chakra Control; I'm still struggling with the leaf concentration exercise and this is my last year! Soon we will start the tree walking exercise and I need to practice a lot. I think I'll have to specialize in kenjutsu, I have a knack for it anyway."

I nodded, that meant seniors are taught advanced chakra control exercises.

Sadako talked about everything and everyone on the way back home.

Later that day, I opened the Clone Technique scroll and read it.

**Clone Technique Learned!**

**Clone Technique. Lvl 1 (1%).  
E rank  
\- Creates and an illusionary copy of yourself.  
Requirements: 20% Chakra control.  
Cost: 20 Chakra Points per clone.**

'Nice.' I practiced the jutsu for a while, transforming into dad, Yataro and Sadako. The transformation was perfect from the start, even when transforming into Shinzo sensei, whom I met today. Was that because of the gamer system?

* * *

The next morning, Shinzo sensei welcomed us with a caring voice.

"Well children, today we are going to evaluate your physical condition. Let's go outside."

Sensei took us to the "roof" of the academy. It was bigger than I expected, about 300 feet in diameter. You could see the surrounding valleys, the Raikage tower, other administrative buildings and even some shinobi jumping around the buildings. The cold breeze of the morning was a welcome wake up call to a lot of kids.

"Very well, first, jog around 20 laps. Go."

We started jogging. Of the group of 21 children, half managed to complete the 20 laps, me among the last ones, and the rest fell at different times. All the training I've done so far seemed to be paying off.

**VIT increased by 1, SP increased by 10.**

I was wondering when my Vitality would increase, I've been training quite a lot. And the stamina points awarded? I'll have to start jogging around on my own.

"Now, you are going to spar with one another, to test if you would be able to learn basic katas this year. Some of you might need corrective classes if you don't pass so focus. We'll go to the inner training rooms, we don't want students falling off the edge if a spar gets out of control up here, so it is strictly forbidden to fight anywhere in the building other than the interior training rooms. Is that clear?"

'Makes sense.' I thought looking down the edge, it was a long fall.

"Follow me, please."

The instructor led us to the inner training area. It was a huge room in the second floor. The tall walls, the ceiling and the floor were all concrete, with only a couple of tall windows and a large column in the center. There was no tatami on the floor, and judging by the reddish spots on the floor, they weren't used during spars. There were big squares painted on the floor.

"Very well," said the instructor once the kids shut up, "I will call you in pairs. Only physical hits are allowed. If you leave the square, you lose."

With that, the instructor began calling names.

The first person that caught my attention was a tall girl with long auburn hair, green eyes and dark kumo-style skin. She won her fight with a simple jab to the face followed by a roundhouse kick to the sternum.

'Observe.'

**Name: Maemi Choshi.  
Title: Academy student.  
Level: 5  
Age: 8  
Maemi is a new student from Kumo's ninja academy.  
Relationship level: Bad.**

Her opponent, a level 7 boy, landed outside the square, breathing heavily.

'Another one dislikes me?' I wondered.

Maemi looked around to her fellow classmates, with a presumptuous expression and a cocky smile.

'A strong and arrogant kid... what a fucking cliché.'

"Good job," the instructor addressed the class, "some of you might already have some training from your families and that's okay but try keep it to simple taps if you can."

He was right, a couple of kids knew how to fight. I could tell they had the knowledge and neuromuscular training required to fight properly. I also recognized some of the standard taijutsu katas from the book back home. My Beginner's Taijutsu skill leveled up quite a lot from all the kata practice and rat punching.

**Beginner's Taijutsu. Lvl 18. (34%)  
\- The foundation of any respectable style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 18%.**

"Kioshi Shirasu and Tahara Soho." The instructor called.

We both approached the fighting area. My opponent was a scrawny little boy, but still older than me by 2 years and one level above me.

"Begin."

He came to me running with a sloppy fist cocked back. Was he even trying? I could see his limbs clearly; he was telegraphing every single movement he made.

I ducked under his fist and connected a solid punch to his right kidney while sliding right. I kicked the back of his right knee, making him kneel while holding his abdomen. Punches in the kidneys hurt a lot. I didn't wait for a reaction; I immediately went for a chop to the back of his neck.

"Stop!" The instructor interrupted me loudly, "I just said keep it to taps!"

I stared at the sniffling boy with wide eyes. I just punched the hell out of a little kid, without remorse, without care. I turned around and went back to the other students with an empty expression, they were looking at me with various degrees of hate and horror.

The rest of the fights went down quickly. You couldn't really call them fights more than street brawls, most of these kids didn't know how to fight. One thing I figured out too: level didn't mean everything. Some low-level kids were pretty good, while some higher ones were just average.

Of all 20 kids, just five got my attention. They seemed trained to some degree, probably children of shinobi parents or clans. I didn't know any noteworthy names in Kumo, was the Raikage's family a proper clan?

"Okay kids, some of you are already somewhat competent in taijutsu. The first year will mostly comprise of physical exercises, stamina development and basic katas to set the foundations for proper shinobi training. Proper taijutsu lessons will begin on the second year. Now follow me to the dining room to have lunch."

We followed the instructor again to another huge room with long tables and chairs. There was already a line of other students waiting for the lunch ladies to serve food on their trays.

I knew I didn't need to eat but I wanted to keep the appearances, and, besides, I was curious. I wanted to observe in detail the senior students and compare them.

So, waiting in the line, I observed everyone. The oldest kids, all 12 years old, were level 14 to 18. Some stood out, like a short boy who was level 19 and a couple others who were level 12. The third-year students, 11 year olds, ranged between 10 and 14 and the second year students' levels ranged from 6 to 10.

Even if levels were not a reliable indicator of a person's strength, I was among the lowest level kids of the school. I had a lot to train.

After receiving my food, I went to sit with my class. Everybody was looking at me with some spite in their eyes, some even with obvious anger. It was clear I wasn't liked by my peers and judging by the faces of the other kids in the dining room, all looking at me with disdain, I got the hint.

These kids disliked me, and they wouldn't be changing their minds anytime soon.

Well, fuck them. I was not in the mood to fraternize with little children. This was the longest time I've spent with people since I woke up in this world, and it had to be with kids.

These kids, they were too naïve, too inexperienced in life, any life, for me to be friends with them.

I tossed my tray in the dumpsters, food and all, and slowly walked out of the dining room with half a smirk. They'll grow up, eventually, but I won't be waiting for them.

I can endure this academy bullshit; I will survive this world.

* * *

I went to the academy library during lunch time. The second period that day was mostly Shinzo sensei talking about the history of Kumo. All of it I already read in those big books in the library. Tomorrow we'll learn about the inner workings of the land of lightning.

Back home, dad was napping next to the dining table, some empty bottles of beer laid next to him. Sadako quickly said goodbye and skipped away.

"Hello, dad."

He opened his eyes and looked at me for a moment with a trembling chin.

"H-hey son. Listen, I-" he choked on his words, but carried on after a couple of seconds, "I'm sorry, I should have been there, I-"

He closed his eyes and stood up hastily, stumbling to the kitchen before I could say anything. The sound of a bottle of beer being opened told me all I needed to know, he was already tipsy, now going drunk.

'I'm not dealing with this shit.'

Heading back outside, I walked to the taiyaki stand at the end of the street. There was one thing I had yet to do: thank old man Yataro for his signature and support and tell him I was accepted.

The stand was almost empty, except for two women chatting on one of the small tables outside, the same women from months ago. The scene reminded me of those little cafes shown in old European movies, small and forgotten, only frequented by those who already knew of their existence.

"Hey kid! Did you come with your mother this time?" The shop owner asked me with a raised brow.

"No, I'm alone today. I would like two chocolate taiyaki please." I said, trying to smile.

He looked at me with half a smile.

"Sure thing, anything else?"

"Tea, red tea please. Two cups to go." I replied. Red tea was what old man Yataro was drinking the other day.

The owner nodded and went to the back.

"That'll be 100 ryo." The owner said to me, handing me a small brown paper back and two disposable cups filled with warm tea in a cupholder. "Bring the cupholder back if you can, they are difficult to find nowadays. We used to import them from fire country."

I looked at him with a questioning look. "What happened?"

"Trade with fire country has declined the last months since the conflict with the Hyuga clan of Konoha. Border controls are tougher and commerce has taken a hit." He answered chewing on his lip. "Anyway, glad to see you again boy. Come back whenever you want."

"Thank you." I paid the man, summoning the money from my inventory to my hands inside my pockets. Just as I could summon any number of kunai I wanted to my hands; I could summon any amount of money also. Pretty neat.

I went to old man Yataro's and found him sitting in his chair in the garden reading a book, as always. Taking a cup of tea from the holder, I gave it to him and sat down in the chair beside him.

"Thank you," I said, "I was accepted."

"Of course you would," he said looking at me with a dimpled grin, "and you're welcome."

He sipped on his tea, savoring it slowly. "How's training?"

"It's going okay, although I'm still learning the basics."

"Take your time, you can achieve a lot with a calm mind and meditation. The first steps in training are the most difficult. Still, sometimes you'll need to force your mind, body and chakra to overcome some specific barriers you'll find along the way. Don't get discouraged, boy."

I gave him one of the taiyaki and tasted of the other one. It was odd, back in the real world I never cared for sweet stuff, but here, I had a nasty sweet tooth.

We sat in silence almost all afternoon, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

That night, I went to my room and laid a kunai in front of me; I wasn't giving up on my magnet release.

I sat on a lotus position with my eyes closed and focused. My chakra was resting in my core, at the center of my body, and I guided it around my body.

This time, I was going to try something different. From the manga, I remember the third Kazekage's puppet didn't use its hands to control the iron sand and neither did Gaara unless it was a big sand jutsu. So, instead of channeling chakra to my hands, I forced my chakra to the back of my mind and expanded my senses.

I felt the tightness of my clothes and the cold air against my skin. I could hear my own breathing, the night wind howling outside, the neighbor's soft snoring...

And after a few minutes, at the edge of my senses, I could perceive a foreign object. A ghostly figure, so to speak. I could feel its weight, its general shape, its... temperature. It was... cold?

'Move.'

Forced by my will and the burning chakra in my mind, I felt the object move.

Opening my eyes, I saw the kunai floating in the air, right in front of my face.

'Fuck yeah!'

* * *

_Author's note:_

_The story is starting to gain momentum... just a couple more chapters of school life and training and I'll drop the first surprise. No quests this chapter._

_Thank you all for your reviews and comments!_

_And keep pointing out mistakes and typos._


	6. Chapter 6: Big Fish

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Big Fish**

'Auch.'

I cut myself in the cheek for playing with a floating kunai. Yeah, that was difficult. A free-floating object, held only by some sort of magical magnetic force I could somehow create, was obviously more difficult than sticking a leaf to your head. But the chakra cost was minimal; I could keep a kunai floating for an hour before having to stop.

My Magnet Release (Iron Sand) began to grow.

**Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 1. (2%)  
\- The famed third Kazekage's version of the kekkei genkai. By controlling magnetic fields, ferromagnetic iron sands obey your commands. Control, sand amount and Chakra cost are variable, depending on skill level.**

And so, a month passed surviving the boring academy, training and killing rats. Interestingly enough, I could throw a kunai pretty decently with my magnet release, but trying to juggle them around myself before throwing them fucked my aiming. Shuriken were easier, I just had to impart some rotation on them and fling them.

By the end of the month I finally leveled up and got an extra point to VIT because of all the physical training.

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: Academy Student.  
Age: 5  
Gender: Male  
Level 4 (60/1200)**

**HP: 90/90  
SP: 105/105  
Chakra: 242/242  
Chakra Control: 34%**

**STR: 7  
DEX: 10  
VIT: 7  
INT: 13  
WIS: 11  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 6 **

**Money: 9500**

I also got a Title when I was accepted at the academy, one that would help me with my training.

**Title: Academy Student.  
10% faster Skill growth.**

My skills were advancing nicely!

**Meditation. Lvl 21. (86%)  
\- Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.  
Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 70%.**

**Observe. Lvl 36. (13%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.**

**Leaf Concentration Exercise. Lvl 8. (92%)  
\- A staple of shinobi training.  
Increases Chakra control percentage by 8 percent; number of leaves to hold: 2.  
Cost: 8 Chakra Points per minute.**

**Beginner's Bukijutsu: Short Blades. Lvl 14. (24%)  
\- The basics of any respectable blade style.  
Increases damage and accuracy by 14% when using kunai and other short blades.**

**Shurikenjutsu. Lvl 11. (23%)  
Increases shuriken damage and accuracy by 11%.**

**Beginner's Taijutsu. Lvl 19. (75%)  
\- The foundation of any respectable style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 19%.**

**Stealth. Lvl 5. (11%)  
\- The shinobi art of concealment.  
80% chance of going undetected, -1% per each level below the target.**

**Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 3. (33%)  
\- The famed third Kazekage's version of the kekkei genkai. By controlling magnetic fields, ferromagnetic iron sands obey your commands. Control, sand amount and Chakra cost are variable, depending on skill level.**

Throwing kunai and shuriken with my magnet release also trained their respective skills, so that was some positive reinforcement right there. My meditation was going well, and my observation skill was even better since sometimes all I did was 'Observe' from the academy's window. Fun fact about shinobi patrols around Kumo: they are not timed concisely; guards went running above the academy every 20 to 30 minutes, sometimes even less. It made sense not to have a regular patrol schedule, it made them somewhat unpredictable. Kumo was a well thought village.

My jutsu were going great too, specially the genjutsu.

**Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique. Lvl 5 (13%).  
D rank  
\- A simple genjutsu that shows the victim its greatest fear.  
Requirements: 20% Chakra control.  
Cost: 15 Chakra Points.**

**Transformation Technique. Lvl 2 (4%).  
E rank.  
\- An illusion technique.  
Requirements: 10% Chakra control.  
Cost: 4 Chakra Points per minute.**

**Clone Technique. Lvl 2 (55%).  
E rank  
\- Creates and an illusionary copy of yourself.  
Requirements: 20% Chakra control.  
Cost: 19 Chakra Points per clone.**

Rats didn't drop any item in particular, just money and some shuriken. The dungeon boss was already very easy to defeat with my stats, I had to find a new dungeon.

* * *

"You need a haircut, munchkin," Sadako said one day walking home from the academy, "do you want me to cut your hair?"

Indeed, my grayish black hair was reaching my shoulders now; it was the first time ever that I let my hair grow this much. It was straight with some weird curves. I looked at her and her hair, it looked okay, but if her cooking abilities say anything about her excess enthusiasm in lieu of her lack of skills, I had to tread carefully.

"Do you cut your own hair?"

"Even if I tried, I couldn't, could I? My mom cuts my hair and I cut hers." She was looking at me with big bright eyes.

"Sure, why not, thank you." What was the worst that could happen? Worst case scenario I'll have to shave my head. Meh, I didn't care.

Back at home, Sadako made me sit on the floor. She took a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer and laid a towel over my shoulders. Snip, snip, snip, she began.

"So, I'm close to keep the leaf against my forehead, been practicing it for more than a year now. I have to master wall walking this year to graduate and maybe be able to start nature transformation exercises. Agh! Some of the girls could do it pretty quickly, but I can't do it right. I'm better than them in shurikenjutsu anyway, so that's a thing-"

"The leaf concentration exercise?" I interrupted. Her voice sounded miserable, the poor kid.

"Yep, that's the one. They'll teach it to you next year once you unlock your chakra. Wait, did you already unlock your chakra? You've been reading an awful lot of shinobi books."

"I can do the leaf concentration exercise already."

"What! Really? Munchkin you're amazing!" She hastily knelt in front of me, with watery eyes and a hopeful expression "Can you help me? Please? Pretty pleeeease?"

I looked at her, her hopeful expression, her cheerful and never-give-up attitude.

"Of course… how can I help?"

"Oh, well… why don't you check how I do it and tell me if I'm wrong? My mom doesn't really tell me stuff; she says I got to figure out things by myself. I hate it; I'm not as smart as her or dad." She got up and went to take a leaf from the bush at the corner. "Look, this is how I do it. I concentrate chakra on my forehead and, well, stick the leaf and try to keep it there."

It wasn't like I could see her chakra or something, but judging from her explanation and the fact that her face was red and scrounged up, like pushing something, I deduced one thing.

"I think… maybe you are looking at this the wrong way," I said to her watching the leaf fall down after some seconds, "you are releasing chakra _out_ from your forehead. Try to imagine your chakra covering your forehead, but not pushing it away, like covering your forehead with a thin layer of oil or something like that. I believe you are forcing too much chakra and pushing the leaf away from you, when it should be the other way around… it's a control exercise."

She looked at me with squinted eyes and nodding her head. This time she took a deep breath and placed the leaf on her forehead, her eyes closed and her strained expression gone. And just like that, the leaf stuck and stayed there for a full minute.

"Holy crap munchkin, you were right! Argh! I was trying to force it the wrong way!" She hugged me hard. "Thank you, you precious little thing," she added pinching my left cheek, "now, your hair!"

I sat down again, and she resumed cutting my hair and talking about a lot of other things.

Was she being neglected at home too? I didn't think so; she did talk about training with her mother. Maybe her parents really wanted her to overcome her own obstacles, but struggling with that exercise for more than a year? … Maybe they were expecting too much from her when she just needed a better explanation. Maybe she wasn't a kinesthetic learner or maybe she really wasn't such a genius as she said her parents were. Effort, nevertheless, was normally wasted if you didn't have someone to guide you through the basics. That didn't say anything good about her teachers at the academy either.

"Hey munchkin, you've got a scar in the back of your head."

My hand snapped immediately to the back of my head. There, in between my now shorter hair, I could feel a scar. The same scar I got in the real world because of my first seizure. 'Old soul,' I remembered, 'some things are carried over.'

I also went to the taiyaki stand that afternoon. I was a little fed up with the training routine, being alone at the academy and getting the stinky eye from the other kids, cleaning after dad, having no one to really talk to… I needed coffee, or tea if it didn't exist here, and something sweet, pronto.

"Hello kid, welcome again! Tea and a couple sweet ones to go again?"

I looked at the small billboard. They didn't have coffee, but they had black tea. 'Close enough.'

"A big cup of black tea, a chocolate taiyaki and a red bean paste one. Not to go, please." I smiled to the owner, sitting in one of the tables.

"You're in a good mood today kid," he said to me amused, "coming right up!"

It wasn't coffee, but it was good enough.

I was smiling, sincerely. For the first time in months I was smiling. The birds stopped singing a couple months ago and the few trees around were losing their orange color, their last leaves dancing in the wind and susurrating the last of heir comforting melody. The sun was bright up in the sky but the chilly wind permeated to the bones, the coldness of winter was already setting in Kumo. It was a fucking good day anyway, and I decided for the first time since I woke up here to venture out my street by myself. I needed to clear my mind before starting another training session and adding kunai levitation to my already packed routine.

So, I walked past the burned house with the rats and kept strolling down the street. Now that winter was coming, children and old people were strolling around heavily covered but with a smile on their faces, enjoying whatever ray of sun they could still get to their faces.

After the first connecting bridge, I arrived at a commercial area. A dozen small stores and a small group of restaurants surrounded a plaza with a decent-sized statue of the first Raikage at its center.

"To the founder of the village A, Shodaime Raikage.  
To protect the Land of Lightning and for the glory of Kumogakure."

The smell of food saturated the chilling air, the sounds of people talking and laughing, of children yelling and vendors shouting their wares gave me a nostalgic feeling of the little neighborhood I grew up in back in the real world.

I went inside a general shop first; I needed a map of the village and, well, every other map I could find. I found a detailed map of Kumo and another of the Land of Lightning, mostly centered on tourist spots and notable landmarks.

Ding!

**Maps added:  
Kumogakure.  
Land of Lightning.**

Nice, I didn't have to buy them and thankfully they didn't disappear when I opened them.

'Menu.'

**Menu:**

**Status  
Skills  
Inventory  
Quests  
Map  
Relations**

'Maps!'

**Map:  
Local maps are shown in detail. Other maps are also accessible.**

**Kumogakure.  
Land of Lightning.**

'Kumogakure.'

A mini map appeared in the upper left corner of my range of vision, just like a game. Ironic, I know. Focusing on it opened a bigger version and, finally, I had an idea of the overall shape of the village.

Kumogakure was built over high altitude stone peaks and their surrounding small valleys, all interconnected by bridges and stairs. The northern portion of the village mostly comprised those rounded structures hugging the stone peaks; they were all marked as administrative and commercial buildings. There was a museum, some wealthy districts and expensive luxury stores pointed on the map. The Raikage's office was at the northern tip, higher than any other building, it seemed, and the shinobi academy was nearby.

The other part of the village was mostly set in the surrounding small valleys between the peaks, all still above the line of clouds. Most likely, the lack of a cloud cover explained the darker skin of Kumo shinobi. Kumogakure - the village hidden in the clouds - was a fitting name. Although it was bigger that you may think when calling it a village, it was a small city. The residential neighborhoods were all clumped together on those small valleys. I lived in one of those, and from the modicum number of streets and parks, it wasn't a wealthy one.

Kumogakure had only one entrance, from the west. A long steep road finished in a wide staircase, which in turn led to the gates of the village.

The training grounds were located to the east. They were labeled from 1 to 13 and occupied three small valleys. Some had small buildings surrounding them.

I closed the map, deciding to go to those training grounds and look for another dungeon. The rats were too easy now and I needed a better challenge. Low level RPG dungeons were always full of animals and the best part to find animals was away from civilization.

Looking at the sun, I still had a couple of hours before nightfall. I headed to the training grounds; it was a 30 minute walk.

* * *

I arrived at the bridge connecting to the training grounds. At the other side of the bridge, a small orb floated, gleaming with that eerie blue light just like the rat dungeon. I approached the orb.

**Dungeon Found!**

**Dungeon level: 3.  
Enemies: ?**

**Level 8 required to enter.**

'Crap.' I didn't have enough experience yet.

"Hey kid!" A shouting interrupted my thoughts. "You can't be here, only shinobi are allowed in the training grounds, you might get hurt."

The feminine although low-pitched voice came from a long haired shinobi walking in my direction from the training grounds. She had blonde hair tied in a long ponytail and wore black pants and a purple shirt, a standard issue vest over her chest. Her arms and lower legs were bandaged heavily, and she also wore a chain of bluish beads around her left hand.

My eyes widened. That was Yugito Nii! Holy crap, the two tail's jinchuriki!

'Observe.'

**Name: Yugito Nii. **  
**Title: Jinchuriki. **  
**Level: ? **  
**Age: 17**  
**Yugito is the jinchuriki of the Two Tails, Matatabi. **  
**Relationship level: Neutral.**

She was heading in my direction with an emotionless expression and a thin layer of sweat covering her face. "Did you hear me kid?" She asked.

"I- I'm sorry, I was looking for a place to train." I stammered a little.

"Oh, you are a student?" She asked. "How old are you?"

"I'm five, a first year student."

She looked at my eyes for some time with a slight wince of sympathy. "Regardless, you shouldn't be here. Train in the academy's training halls until you graduate."

She moved past me with her eyes on the ground before stopping and turning around. "Listen kid, just-" she hesitated for a second and shook her head, only to continue walking.

I watched her walk away with her hands on her pockets and a sad sauntering. Those eyes... they looked tired, mentally tired, and alone. It's the destiny of all jinchuriki, it seemed, to wander alone, to be shunned by society until they can prove themselves. She was just 17, but her vacant eyes… I've seen those eyes in suicidal people, people grasping to the last of their willingness to live, broken, abandoned, tired of their masks and betrayed by their own minds. That's a heavy burden for such a young woman, that's a horrible burden for anyone.

She looked decisive and when depressed eyes turn to decisive ones, you knew they made _that_ decision.

"Hey lady!" I shouted in her direction. I had to say something, anything, I had to do something. She was too young to have those eyes. "Thank you, for your sacrifice."

She turned her head and looked at me with wide eyes. She nodded her head with understanding but the same empty look as before on her face. She shunshined away.

'Fuck.' My comment felt like a final word, like a bad good bye. Did I make it worse?

I was staring at the other end of the bridge where she disappeared. The manga didn't really show too much about her or her history. Maybe I already fucked the timeline with that comment. 'Will I ever see you again, Yugito?'

With a bitter feeling in my mind, I ambled back to the commercial district. 'How much time do I have in this world?' I wondered. I knew I shouldn't change the timeline too much; Naruto and Sasuke had to achieve monster-like status and receive Hagoromo's chakra. For that to happen, Kaguya had to be revived. That was the only way to ensure the other Otsutsukis will be defeated when the time came. I couldn't hoard all the power and make everyone depend on me. Fuck, I could wake up any time from this world. At least, I knew this story will have a happy ending, or _an_ ending. This wasn't my story, it wasn't mine to take, but I was here and this was my opportunity to do something valuable for the world -a world. Maybe save those who will die in the fourth war and help maintain peace in the elemental nations afterwards if I live long enough. Maybe I could stick to the shadows and try to make everything happen according to the original story, Black Zetsu style. Maybe I could do something valuable for a change.

Nevertheless, one thing was on my mind. 'Yugito Ni...'

Back in the commercial district, I took the opportunity to buy some clothes since the ones I had were already too small for me. The good thing was that clothes were really cheap here, so I bought a bunch to have spares in case I shred them during training. They cost me only 1000 ryo! Black, blue and dark green pants and shirts, a pair of simple ninja-like boots and a simple overcoat, dark green; your inconspicuous collection of everyday clothes.

When I was walking back home for the day, something caught my eye: a blue orb was floating in an alleyway next to a decent-sized flower shop.

**Dungeon Found!**

**Dungeon level: 2.**  
**Enemies: Beetles.**

**Level 5 required to enter.**

That was the next dungeon! I just needed one more level! The desire to train came back again.

* * *

For five more months I spun kunai alone in my room at nights; in one direction, then another, then another, then more than one kunai and even shuriken. I launched them to the wall with different results. At first, they slammed randomly, but after a few weeks, they stuck, pointy end first.

**Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 14. (62%)  
\- The famed third Kazekage's version of the kekkei genkai. By controlling magnetic fields, ferromagnetic iron sands obey your commands. Control, sand amount and Chakra cost are variable, depending on skill level.**

I could also sense metal around me; the knives and spoons in the kitchen, the metal of the doorknobs, the weapons inside dad's weapons cache and even the iron pipes around and below the house.

The academy was the same as always, some days we had to run around an obstacle course and some other times they tested us on basic mathematics, history and shinobi codes. I aced all of them, but it was boring as hell. I didn't learn anything I didn't know before, be it by reading at lunch hour or at home. And basic maths... I mean, come on. I could do differential calculus in my sleep and they were trying to teach me angles. Even their applicability to estimate the trajectory of a thrown weapon was dubious; muscular memory was much more important for a full-fledged shinobi. But, well, they were just kids and first they needed to learn the concept, then the applicability. Nevertheless, a minimum 90% attendance was required to be able to graduate the first year, so I was stuck there for the time being.

By the end of those five months, I leveled up. All those now boring Sunday morning rat-killing sprees were worth something besides the money and the occasional kunai or shuriken drop.

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: Academy Student.  
Age: 5  
Gender: Male  
Level 5 (660/2500)**

**HP: 110/110  
SP: 131/131  
Chakra: 274/274  
Chakra Control: 36%**

**STR: 9  
DEX: 11  
VIT: 9  
INT: 13  
WIS: 12  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 8 **

**Money: 12200**

I trained my stats enough too, focusing on augmenting VIT. Also, two things happened; I maxed out the leaf concentration exercise after level 9 and my Beginner's Taijutsu skill when it reached level 20.

**Leaf Concentration Exercise. Lvl Max.  
\- A staple of shinobi training.  
Increases Chakra control percentage by 10 percent; number of leaves to hold: -.  
Cost: 8 Chakra Points per minute.**

**Beginner's Taijutsu. Lvl Max.  
\- The foundation of any respectable style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 20%.**

So, I tried to climb a wall in my house and, not surprisingly, I got the skill.

**Wall Climbing Exercise. Lvl 0. (1%).  
\- Another staple of shinobi training.  
Increases Chakra control percentage by [Lvl] percent.  
Cost: 15 Chakra Points per minute.**

Given my chakra control, I could stand on a wall or a ceiling for a little more than 6 minutes before I had to meditate for an hour and some minutes to fully recover my chakra. All that control training was paying back.

I needed another taijutsu book or scroll to begin training, and there weren't any in the academy. Thus, I went to old man Yataro and directly asked him. He gave me an old and dusty book, containing everything from advanced katas to detailed explanations of some intricate movements; hits, kicks, blocks, throws and such.

**Advanced Taijutsu. Lvl 1. (1%)  
\- The advanced forms of any taijutsu style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 1%.**

"Good afternoon." I greeted the old man that day.

"Hello kid."

I sat on the chair beside him and watched the cold winter scenery; winter lasts a long time here in Kumogakure from what I've read. A thin layer of snow covered the rooftops, still remaining from a late night snowfall. From time to time, it seemed, the clouds would rise above the highest peaks of the village and empty themselves over the village. Still, the warmer winds of spring could already be felt and would melt the snow away in just a few days.

"Where can I learn more about taijutsu? I think I already mastered the basics." I asked giving him a steaming cup of black tea.

"Did you, now?" He looked at me with quizzically. "I have something you can read." He stood up and entered his house. "C'mon inside, kid."

I followed him inside. His house was very similar to mine, as most of the houses in the street were: small, comfy and fairly maintained. Bookshelves covered almost all the walls, filled up with books of shinobi related material and, judging by the names, some fiction and history treaties. A few books caught my attention; scientific books about the elements, chakra, biology, human anatomy and mathematics… It was quite a collection.

"I collected most of them from working for the Shinobi Research Institute of Kumo," he said looking between the books on a different shelf, "ah, here it is." He pulled the old book and sat on a cushion at the table. His ability to walk and sit smoothly even with a wooden leg was remarkable.

He opened the book and flipped some pages. "This is and advanced taijutsu book, the one I learned with. It's very detailed and should correct some positions you've already learned." He pointed at several scribbles at the edge of some diagrams showing a human body in a blocking stance. "It also has some of personal notes there. You might be too small yet to apply some of the concepts, but it will help you for now. After you are done with this, come back and I'll give you something you might find interesting." He added closing the book. He handed it to me and walked to one of the bedrooms. "You've got a lot to train and practice ahead of you boy," he said loudly from the other room, "don't disappoint me."

I stared amazed at the book. "Thank you, old man. I appreciate this, all of this."

He came back with his wooden pipe filled with tobacco . "Now," he said walking to the door, "tell me about your training."

We talked outside for an hour about training, tea, food and shinobi life. I learned he was heavily injured during the second war and had to retire. He lost his right leg and his ability to mold chakra correctly, so he started working for the Intelligence Department of Kumo in some things he didn't want to –or couldn't- speak of. After that, he worked with the Shinobi Research Institute developing shinobi codes, political decrees and regulations, and also researching on chakra theory and applicability. He retired some years ago. That was an interesting life, but old man Yataro never married and lost his only brother in the war, so he was mostly alone in the world. He seemed satisfied with it, though.

I talked about my life in this world, about the academy, about my training, about tea and how I wanted something stronger. I talked about Sadako, to which the old man offered to help her if she had any issues with things too advanced for me. I was grateful for having him in my life, a connection with another human being, one who didn't treat me like a child, but like a man.

Two weeks later, I sent Sadako to old man Yataro's with questions about nature transformation I couldn't answer.

* * *

Finally, it was time to enter the new dungeon. I had my kunai, shuriken and my gloves, all at the ready.

I walked to the florist and there, in the alleyway, floated the blue orb.

Ding!

**Quest Created:  
****Waiting for the windshield on the freeway.  
****Clear the beetle swarm.**

**Rewards:  
1000 Exp, leveled loot.  
Accept?**

That was a lot of experience! 'Accept.'

I appeared instantly in the middle of the flower shop itself. The store was large, with shelves after shelves full of plants and vases with flowers, the walls covered with different products, fertilizers, tools, etc. Three closed wooden doors stood in the back wall.

This dungeon was not abandoned or boarded up like the rat one was, this place was bright. Light entered through various windows in the walls and from the big crystal roof on the center of the ceiling, bathing everything in a yellow glow and a warm atmosphere.

This was a dungeon, however, so I summoned a kunai to each hand and took my first step.

To the left, a vase fell and broke against the floor. A dark blue beetle the size of a small dog scurried from behind a shelf, snapping a pair of huge pincers at me.

'Observe.'

**Giant Blue Beetle  
Level: 5  
\- A mutated beetle with strong jaws.**

Instantly, I threw both kunai at it and immediately summoned two more to my hands.

**Hit!  
21 DMG.**

**Hit!  
21 DMG.**

One pierced the beetle in its central thorax and the other cut off one of its legs. Still, the bug jumped at me. I dodged to the right, crouching to my knees and shoved a kunai to its head.

**Hit! Critical x5  
105 DMG.**

**Giant Blue Beetle Killed.  
20 Exp awarded.**

Before I could celebrate, something hit me hard on my right shoulder, splashing water to my face.

**-10 HP!**

'Fuck!'

A beetle was standing over a table between the flowers, its jaws clicking and pointing down at me.

'Did this bug just spit a water bullet at me?'

During my musing, another water bullet was sent my way. I rolled to the right and barely dodged it.

'Rule number one of close quarter combat: don't stop to contemplate if you are exposed under enemy fire.' Sending a kunai to the bug while standing, I cut off one if its pincers.

**Hit!  
21 DMG.**

Snake, Rat: 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.'

**-56 Chakra.**

The bug shivered and opened its small blue wings, moving its only pincer left in a threatening manner to an unknown menace to its left. I dashed to its side and buried a kunai between its tiny black eyes.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
105 DMG. **

**Giant Blue Beetle Killed.  
20 Exp awarded.**

I heard a spitting sound at the back and leaped to my left turning around. I summoned two kunai to my hands, just in time for a small water bullet to fly over my shoulder; another beetle over the table was clicking its pincers at me.

'These things are aiming for my head!'

Another bug bit me on my right ankle, and a stinging pain went up my leg.

**-10 HP!**

I immediately jumped backwards over one of the tables at the center of the store, just to see another water bullet flying to my head. 'These things are fast!' I jumped to yet another table, dropping some vases in the way, and went on the offensive.

I could hear the bug that bit my right ankle scurrying around in the floor, so I focused on the one in front shooting water bullets at me.

I hurled a kunai in its direction, only for the bug to sidestep it. But it gave me time to summon a special kunai, one with an exploding note tied to its ring.

I prepared them in advance early this morning using the notes I got the first time I cleared the rat dungeon. I ran a bit of chakra through the paper to activate it and swiftly threw it at the bug. It went through its exoskeleton and lodged itself between its wings; a fraction of a second later it exploded with a massive bang.

**-42 HP!  
Stun applied. **

The tables and flower vases were blasted away, smashing to the walls and the floor. The windows exploded outwards and the glass ceiling collapsed, showering everything in small glass shards. I was blown back over the table behind me and fell hard to the floor on my side, my ears ringing.

**Hit!  
200 DMG.**

**Giant Blue Beetle Killed.  
20 Exp awarded. **

'Fuck,' I said to myself trying to stand up. My head was spinning, and my ears hurt. There were broken pieces of vases and flower petals everywhere, some of the tables were turned and broken and there were glass shards everywhere. 'Note to self, do not detonate an exploding note in a small closed environment.' I should have known, to be honest.

I got to my knees just in time to see the other bug slowly crawling in my direction. Four of its legs were missing and one of its pincers was ripped from its mouth, red blood gushing out. Shaking what was left of its jaw, it shot a bloody water bullet in my direction; the missile hit the table at my left, missing by a big margin. I hastily summoned a kunai and threw it, only to miss too, so immediately I summoned three shuriken to my right hand and threw them all together -one had to hit.

**Hit!  
10 DMG.**

**Giant Blue Beetle Killed.  
20 Exp awarded.**

'Fuck!' I stood up shakily and checked my HP; I've lost 52 points of life, more than a third of my health pool. I wanted to lie in the ground and wait for the dizziness to go away, but more bugs could be lurking between the flowers and rubble on the floor. 'Fuck that explosion.' Also, those water bullets were small but packed a punch, I had to be careful. This was my first encounter with elemental jutsu -or any type of jutsu really- in combat situation.

I scrutinized around the flower shop, focusing my eyes, ears and nose on any sign of more bugs lurking somewhere behind the ruble. I was panting slightly; my SP points were reduced to 60 points, almost half of my max. I was convinced the stun from the explosive note was responsible for a good portion of those lost SP points, that explosion was something impressive but double edged, more so in a closed room.

After I was fairly sure there were no more bugs in this area, I sat down with my back against a wall to wait for my HP and SP to recover. I wasn't going to meditate while in a hostile environment. My right shoulder hurt, but it was fine nevertheless. My ankle was still dripping blood though, so I applied pressure on it with my hand and waited. The pain I felt when the beetle bit me lasted only a second and was replaced by just a stinging sensation. Thank you, gamer's mind.

This fight was too chaotic for me to use my kekkei genkai; I felt that I still needed a certain degree of concentration to effectively direct kunai and shuriken with the magnet release. But this wasn't training or a controlled environment, and I needed to get used to fighting under harsh conditions and test its applicability in real combat.

After half an hour, I was completely healed; my HP, SP and Chakra points were all filled. I, of course, went to check the bodies of the bugs for loot and just like the rats, they dropped money. All four dropped a total of 1600 ryo. All that was left of the bug I killed with the exploding tag was a splotch of blood and the faint beam of white light revealing the loot.

I recovered the kunai and shuriken I used, locating them among the rubble with my kekkei genkai. Two kunai were broken; one, the one with the exploding note attached I believed, was shattered beyond recognition. I still had 22 kunai left, three with explosive notes tied, and all my shuriken stashed in different boxes in my inventory.

Only the three doors on the back were left, but I was cautious. If these bugs showed me anything is that they could hit hard and viciously.

Before walking to the doors, I created a clone in the center of the room. It was a mere illusionary clone, but I was confident they would be enough to fool the creatures.

**-56 Chakra.**

I crouched next to the hinges of the door on the right, going into stealth. I reached for the doorknob and quickly turned it and pulled the door open. Immediately, a water bullet shot towards my clone while another bug hurried across the rubble in its direction. I quickly slammed the door shut and dashed to the scurrying bug. With a hard kick, I sent it flying to the opposing wall.

**Hit!  
16 DMG.**

I threw two kunai at the bug, this time focusing on pushing them with my magnet release. One flew long and missed, but the other pierced its thorax, impaling the bug to the wall and burying itself up to the handle.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
105 DMG.**

'Hell yeah, gotta love that speed!' I thought impressed. My magnet release wasn't perfect yet, but it was awesome if one kunai hits its mark.

**Giant Blue Beetle Killed.  
20 Exp awarded.**

I heard a crackling sound behind me. The bug that shot the water bullet to my clone and to which I slammed the door in its face, was violently gnawing at the wood. Leaving the clone where it was, I repeated the process; I hid beside the hinges and opened the door. The bug zoomed out, running through the rubble in the direction of the clone.

Summoning three shuriken in each hand, I flung them in front of it. The bug halted, turning around just in time to receive a hard kick to its jaw.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
88 DMG.  
Stun applied.**

The bug slammed hard against the opposing wall, just left of where its friend was impaled, and fell to the floor on its back, its legs up in the air contracting, its head caved in and its jaws broken and bleeding.

**Giant Blue Beetle died because of bleeding.  
20 Exp awarded.**

'That was a nice kick!'

Again, I collected the money they dropped. The kunai I sent with the magnet release were logged in the wall so deep I couldn't recover them.

The room where those bugs came out was a small closet crammed with vases, pots and other containers, but nothing worth taking.

With two doors yet to open, I crouched besides the one in the middle and opened it. Nothing came out and, after some seconds, I peeked inside. The room was also a closet with some gardening tools and nothing else.

I repeated the process and opened the last door, only for the same thing to happen again; no bug and no attack. Taking a look inside, it was a simple office with a desk and some files on top. There was a small window high on the back wall and, on the corner, a small plant that, ironically, was dead.

I took a moved to enter the room with the idea of looting the desk and the bookshelf on the right when a loud buzz came from behind the desk, just where an office chair would be. I hesitated for a fraction of a second before diving left, right on time for a big gold and blue thing to blur past the door.

**Quest Created:  
Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.**

**Defeat the Beetle King.**

**Rewards:  
500 Exp, leveled loot.  
Accept?**

A big blue beetle, at least twice the size of the others, with golden pincers and big wings opened, was now hovering at the center of the store, buzzing loudly and snapping its pincers at my clone.

'Observe.'

**Blue Beetle King.  
Level: 7.  
\- An elemental creature with dubious claims to the throne.**

I was crouching next to the door of the office in full stealth mode with wide eyes. That thing was two levels higher than me for fuck's sake! I quickly planned my next attack, and just in time.

After flaunting its size, the Beetle King dove pincers first to bite my clone's throat, but went through the illusion and slammed against the floor. Hastily beating its wings, the bug immediately hovered over the rubble looking for the real menace. When its eyes roamed in my direction, I acted.

Snake, Rat: 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.'

**-56 Chakra.**

The Beetle King dropped over a piece of rubble and bared its pincers to an unknown assailant. The buzzing was gone, replaced by a dreadful snapping sound.

I already leaped in its direction with a kunai in hand. With all my weight, I rammed the weapon into the bug's thorax, though I was aiming for the head.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
105 DMG.**

Immediately, I stepped back but the beetle was faster. Two consecutive water bullets hit me right in the chest. I was thrown back and landed heavily on my back over some broken vases among the rubble.

**-30 HP!**

**-30 HP!**

I spat some blood. I lost more than half my life to those bullets, but I did it; even though I couldn't kill it in the first movement, the Beetle King couldn't fly anymore and my kunai was lodged in its thorax.

With a furious clicking noise the bug came scurrying to me. I lifted a hand in its direction and stopped it in its tracks. With my magnet release, I controlled the kunai embedded between its wings and flung the Beetle King to the opposite wall.

**Hit!  
40 DMG.  
Stun applied**

I maintained the bug hovering against the wall while I knelt and summoned four more kunai to my hand. Concentrating, I levitated them in front of me and flung them with my kekkei genkai. Two connected with the bug.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
105 DMG.**

**Hit! Critical x5.  
105 DMG.**

Ding!

**Dungeon Boss defeated.  
Quest Completed.**

**Rewards:  
500 Exp,  
2500 ryo,  
Golden Pincers,  
Kunai Set.**

Ding!

**Dungeon Cleared.**

**Rewards:  
1000 Exp,  
3000 ryo,  
5 sealing scrolls.**

I plopped down holding my chest with one hand. I couldn't breathe properly; those water bullets to the chest at point blank hurt like hell. I spat some blood trying to catch my breath and checked my status screen. My HP and SP were low, but were now slowly regenerating.

The rewards from the dungeon were simple enough; a kunai set and some sealing scrolls. The Golden Pincers were just decorative items, so I kept them in the inventory for now.

**Golden Pincers  
\- A trophy made of iron and covered in gold. Can be sold for a high price.**

After looting the boss and the building I changed my clothes to the spare I kept in my inventory before exiting the dungeon.

I finally had a new dungeon to grind experience and items from, and the next months were again a mixture of training, enduring academy life and killing bugs.

* * *

By the end of the year, the train-dungeon-study routine again showed its fruits. The wall walking exercise was halfway through if the maximum level of the leaf concentration exercise was anything to go by. I could walk on walls and ceilings, but the chakra usage on my feet still seemed somehow flawed.

I asked old man Yataro for advanced books on bukijutsu and shurikenjutsu once I completed the beginner skills, and he lent me some decent ones. My kekkei genkai was leveling slowly but steadily and was becoming increasingly useful for my dungeon crawls.

In time, I even entered the dungeon I found at the entrance of the training grounds. It was full of fire spitting lizards, which were a bitch to kill, and a big fucking Komodo dragon was the dungeon boss. That was a tough fight the first three times; it had the habit of burrowing underground when its HP went low enough and had a poisonous bite that hurt like hell. But I got some awesome drops from it too.

Sadako graduated, and her megawatt smile lasted for days. We even went for tea together with old man Yataro to celebrate. She was put into a genin team with two other recently graduated kids; a quiet boy with an aptitude for genjutsu and another taijutsu oriented boy that 'I'm sure he has a crush on me!' -her words. Her sensei was a random tokubetsu jonin. Together, they were named team 7 and, despite the cursed number, their first C-rank 8 months later went out flawlessly. Nevertheless, Sadako started visiting me only in the mornings before team training.

The second academy year was easy too. I demolished everyone on taijutsu, even the top class stuck up girl. She did land a couple of hard hits on me, which taught me more than training by myself. She hated my ass, and I didn't really care. Shinzo sensei was also impressed that I was able to hold a leaf to my forehead perfectly at the beginning of the year. My aim with shuriken and kunai was spotless, too, and I got praised for it. Slowly, the kids abandoned that belittling attitude towards me and the looks of disdain diminished. Still, none came to talk to me after school.

Dad's alcoholism became worse; I had to clean up the empty bottles around the house and pick up his uniform from the ground. I even learned to use the washing machine to clean his clothes every other day. I dreaded going home too late at night and find him passed out on the floor, sometimes crying and whispering gibberish. I was worried, I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't know how to approach him. At least, and I checked, all the bills were being paid and Sadako's too. She has been receiving a small amount of money for keeping an eye on me since my mother died.

One summer night, by the end of that second school year, dad didn't return home and I got worried. Some nights he didn't sleep at home, usually arriving the next morning reeking of cheap perfume and booze, only to take a shower and head out again. Sometimes he didn't come back until the next night.

But he had not been home for three days straight and that night there was a knock on the door. A tall shinobi, red haired and with blue eyes, was looking down at me with sad eyes.

"Kioshi Shirasu?"

I nodded.

"I'm sad to inform Denji Shirasu has died in the line of duty. As the next of kin, you are required to accompany me to the shinobi administrative building to identify the body and start the due process."

'What the fuck?' I was speechless. Dad died on a mission? He only took local guard missions since mom died. 'What the fuck had happened?'

"If you need some time, I can come back tomorrow and-"

"No," I interrupted him taking a deep slow breath, "I'll go."

He shunshined me six times to the Raikage's tower. I didn't care about the new gut-wrenching feeling of being shunshined continuously, not then anyway.

I followed the shinobi through the entrance door and around some hallways. I didn't pay attention to anything, I couldn't. My mind was blank and my eyes felt heavy.

He finally opened some white double doors that led to a cream-colored room with metal drawers in a wall. A morgue. It was chilling, it was depressing, and it smelled of disinfectant and death. And that fucking color again.

"Number 23." The red haired shinobi said to a man in a white robe and a medical head cap.

Said person looked at me with an expressionless face and walked me to a metal gate marked '23'. He pulled the handle and a stainless steel tray came out. Over it, a body covered by a thick black blanket.

Before I could say anything, the doctor pulled the blanket.

My dad's lifeless body lay there, his left side badly burned. He was missing an arm under the shoulder and a leg under the knee, deep cuts covered his chest where the white of the bones underneath could be seen. The pained expression etched on his face and the gritted teeth told of an agonizing death, a slow death. The smell, oh my god the smell…

I didn't break down. I didn't know why, but I didn't break down. It was the first time I've ever seen a dead person, the first time someone somewhat close to me died. But I didn't break, even if I wanted to.

It realized on me later that night; the fucking gamer's mind impeded me from feeling the worst of it. The feeling of loss, of tragedy, they were there but I couldn't cry nor scream.

A hand rested on my shoulder. "Can you confirm it's your father?"

I nodded, looking up to the shinobi. "What happened?"

"We are going to see the Raikage now, he personally asked for your presence."

Two flights of stairs after, we were outside the Raikage's office.

"Oh, go ahead. He's waiting for you." the secretary behind a desk said to the shinobi guiding me when she saw us.

And without knocking, he opened the door.

* * *

_Author's note:_

_I didn't want to end the chapter there, but it was getting long and I really wanted to give you something to read during the weekend._

_I've been studying a lot about time skips, verbalization, differences between UK and US English and... a lot of other things. Did you know that lay is the past tense of lie and laid is the past tense of lay? Also the singular form of shelves is shelf and not shelve, which also exists..._

_Thank you all for your reviews and comments!  
__And keep pointing out mistakes!_


	7. Chapter 7: Lean on me

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Lean on me**

The shinobi opened the door to the Raikage's office and stepped in with me following closely.

The Raikage was sitting with a hard expression behind his mahogany desk, resting his head on his right fist, propped over some documents lying around on top. His left hand held another file which he seemed to be reading with a hard expression. He was wearing the standard kage robes and the hat, but nothing covered his chest. His office was huge, glass walls covered the back of the room and his desk stood at center. To its right were weight racks and a punching bag, and a small bookshelf filled with scrolls stood to the left. Dumbbells were laying everywhere, and I almost tripped on one when we walked through the doors.

When he heard me almost trip, his eyes found mine.

"Raikage sama, this is Kioshi Shirasu, son of-"

"Ah!" the Raikage's voice bellowed around the office, "Yes." He dropped the document over his desk, never breaking eye contact. "Kioshi Shirasu, son of Denji Shirasu, yes." He cleared his throat and continued with a much softer voice and a solemn expression, "Kumo will always be thankful for your father's service in the force. Rest assured that he'll be given all the proper burial rights, and his name will be engraved on the White Wall." He closed his eyes and breathed in, "Denji Shirasu died on a border patrol mission. From the information we collected on site, his team was attacked by unknown shinobi." he continued opening his eyes. "Evidence points to Stone shinobi, but we have reasons to believe that was a set up. Only one of our own survived and was left for dead by the enemy, he found his way to the next patrol control point, but it was already too late."

I wasn't really hearing anything; my mind was still trying to get a hold of the concept that my dad was killed on duty, that I had to identify the body -what was left of it- and that I was, starting from now, an orphan.

A hand rested on my left shoulder.

What was wrong with this world, where people could die a violent death and their children were required to see whatever was left, burning that image on their minds as the last one they would have of a loved one? I found myself gripping the hand on my shoulder with my own while my thoughts wandered. My eyes were fixed on the floor trying to find meaning between the tiles.

When the Raikage spoke again, I lifted my eyes to his.

"I called you here to discuss your future. It has come to my attention your outstanding academic results; even for someone as young as you. You are called a prodigy and a genius in more than one way." He exhaled a long breath. "In normal cases when an academy student is orphaned and he's got no direct family to receive him… well, Kumo's orphanage is always open to academy students. But, we have a proposal for you." He showed me a red folder with my family name on it and continued "Your parents owned the house you are currently living, their only remaining asset after your mother's disease, so it's yours. The Shinobi Life Insurance and the Survivor Benefit Program will both pay for your expenses and bills at least until you graduate. It's not much and you'll have to get a weekend job to get some pocket money, but the Shinobi council has already made the calculations and it all adds up. In the end, it's your decision; you can either live in your house by your own or you can go to the orphanage and live there with other academy students."

I was looking at the red folder while my mind went through the possibilities. I could live alone at home, training away from prying eyes. I make enough money from the dungeons to pay taxes and bills myself and I don't have to expend money on groceries. I lived alone before, if you had the money and knew how to cook and clean, it was easy. "I'll go back home, Raikage-sama."

"A shinobi will check up on you from time to time, any inquiries or monetary issues can be addressed to the shinobi council via the formal communication methods available." The Raikage said in a matter-of-factly voice. "Kioshi Shirasu, we will watch your career with great interest." He gave me a somewhat proud look and nodded, "Dismissed."

My eyes went back to the floor, the image of my father's body still engraved in the back of my mind. I turned around and walked through the doors followed by the same shinobi that escorted me before.

I could do it, living alone in this world. It wouldn't be so different from what I've been doing the past years, dad wasn't really there for me, he didn't clean and barely cooked. But something in my heart was aching; I didn't want to feel so alone again, not in such a savage world. 'Why do I end up alone every time I try to move forward?'

. . . - . . - - - . . . - . . .

As Kioshi exited the office, the Raikage dropped the file over his desk.

"So," he said slumping into his chair, "what could you sense?"

"Yo Bro, kid's got spirit, what else can I say, looking in his eyes he-"

"Shut up, B! It's too late in the night to hear your rapping!" The Raikage bellowed.

"It-it's not that bad, B-sama" a voice responded. A teenager with blond hair emerged from behind the bookcase. "Sorry, Raikage-sama," he answered apologetically to the man behind the desk.

Said man continued to gaze at his eyes with a serious expression.

"Right, sorry. Ehm, from what I could sense, that kid had the biggest chakra reserves I've felt in someone that age," He answered with a thoughtful look, "and the density of his chakra, it was… just… so dense. It gleamed dark purple. I'm sorry Raikage-sama, that's all I could get from him." He finished shaking his head.

"Then it's decided," the Raikage answered, "Mabui, get me the paperwork!" he yelled.

Next to the closed door, a young woman stood with her arms crossed and a worried expression. Kioshi didn't see her standing there and she wouldn't blame him for that. She was happy that he was alright, or, to be fair, as well as someone who lost his parents could be; he didn't even realize it was her hand over his shoulder back then. But what Matatabi said to her when he left, those words would echo in her mind for years to come.

"So," the Raikage interrupted her thoughts, "let's go on with the border issues with Water Country..."

. . . - . . - - - . . . - . . .

I didn't know what I was expecting from the Raikage. I didn't expect anything to be honest. I didn't care for speeches, void of feelings and only given to those who were already tired of sympathy. But, the Raikage was a serious man, even more than your everyday shinobi from what I could gather. He was stern and cut right to the point, and I could appreciate that.

That night, after returning home, I locked the front door and went to my room. I immediately sat cross-legged on the floor and calmed my mind.

If there was one thing I was grateful for in this world, was how simple it was to enter a meditative state with chakra. Chakra could soothe you heart and meditation became addictive when your mind begged to be freed from physical constrains, freed from the emptiness and the banal, from the masks and all the lies, freed from the tears and the sorrows. As they say, if your soul is tired, no amount of sleep will help you rest.

I opened my eyes to the morning sun four days later. My muscles were cramping but my spirit was eased; like a switch inside my mind, my subconscious was silent once again and the image of my father's dead body didn't perturb me anymore. But deep inside, the melancholy remained.

Old man Yataro was sitting on a cushion in my dining room, drinking what smelled like tea.

"You're awake," he said to me when he noticed me, "Sadako was worried, you weren't answering your door for two days straight. I even got a note from the academy... but it's good to see you up on your feet."

He was waiting for me to do something, so I sat down next to him.

"I'll be checking on you if you miss our Saturday afternoon talks." He looked conflicted about whatever he wanted to say. "Take a bath and go to see me, there's a new type of tea I received directly from Tea country we have to try," he finished standing up, "a strong one."

As he left the house, I smiled a bittersweet smile; at least I had some sense of normality with the old man.

I had to study and practice; the end of my second academy year was near, and I would, as always, ace it.

* * *

The following summer was also drowned heavily in training.

I got a check on my mail every following month from the insurance company. It wasn't that much money given the inherent risks of the profession, but it was enough to pay the bills and property taxes. The Survivor Benefit Program was a non-governmental organization that cared for the surviving relatives of ninja that died on duty and fostered most of the orphanages in Kumo; they also sent me a check every month with a little bit of money. It would be enough for groceries if I had to but some, but given my gamer's body, I cashed those checks and saved the money in my inventory. I sent a little bit of it to the nearest orphanage every month, anonymously… at least I had a father in this world for some time.

I focused almost completely on my training and my skills grew at an outstanding pace. I completed the wall walking exercise which granted me another 10% bonus to my Chakra Control and moved on to water walking. I filled the bathtub to the brim with water and practiced standing over the surface. It was simple enough, until I tried to move. Every step I took made ripples on the water and required me to compensate the chakra output on my feet. Then I tried with my shoes on.

I was certain that training my chakra control as much as I could now would yield great results on the long run, so I focused on it and the skill grew by leaps and bounds.

**Water Walking. Lvl 7. (56%)  
\- Yet another staple of shinobi training.  
Increases Chakra Control by 7%.**

My Observation Skill also leveled up nicely, now sitting at level 43. I maxed out shurikenjutsu and beginners bukijutsu, both now at level 20. I still had the advanced teachings scrolls the old man lent me, but I had a lot on my plate and frankly, I was satisfied with my aim for the moment.

There was a shinobi library in Kumo, it was located in the Raikage's tower in fact, but only genin and above were allowed to enter.

**Observe. Lvl 43. (23%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed. **

**Shurikenjutsu. Lvl Max.  
Increases shuriken damage and accuracy by 20%.**

**Beginner's Bukijutsu: Short Blades. Lvl Max.  
\- The basics of any respectable blade style.  
Increases damage and accuracy by 20% when using kunai and other short blades.**

**Stealth. Lvl 11. (66%)  
\- The shinobi art of concealment.  
86% chance of going undetected, -1% per each level below the target.**

My taijutsu prowess was developing incredibly, that book old man Yataro gave me had a lot of corrections to the basic and advanced katas, describing minor deviations on feet and hand arrangements and hip rotation. I tried those new moves in the dungeons.

**Advanced Taijutsu. Lvl 8. (71%)  
\- The advanced forms of any taijutsu style.  
Increases unarmed damage by 8%.**

My meditation now sat at level 55, with a new effect:

**Meditation. Lvl 55. (79%)  
\- Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.  
Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 104%.  
Meditating now grants the benefits of sleeping.**

I've never slept since the first days I arrived at this world, but now, whenever I meditated, any status I had like bleeding or poisoned was cured in less than an hour.

And regarding poisons, well, I received a new skill from all those dammed Komodo dragon bites I received in the lizard dungeon.

**Poison Resistance. Lvl 13. (42%)  
\- Your resistance to all physical and chakra poisons and venoms you could find in the elemental nations.  
Reduces severity and duration of toxins by 13 percent.  
You are now immune to basic toxins.**

That immunity part of the skill? I only unblocked that at skill level 10, way after I completed the lizard dungeon. In fact, the reason I leveled that skill so fast was that the next dungeon I found was full of spiders.

I stumbled on it at the cellar of the academy one lunch hour I went to explore the building. The worst part weren't the jumping spiders or their burning venomous bites, no, the worst part was the dungeon boss: a lustrous black ten feet long centipede monstrosity that spat venom. Spat venom to your eyes to be exact.

**Centipede Monstrosity  
Level: 10.  
\- Don't let it hug you.**

It also had the nasty habit of finding me no matter where I tried to hide. Only by the second dungeon run it occurred to me that chopping off those horrible foot long antennas was a good idea. Its venom, by the way, was a horrible thing. It was a paralytic agent and with each spit that landed on my bare skin, however small, I got a paralyzed status that halved my DEX stat and doubled my SP usage. I still get goosebumps whenever I think about that creature. Yet, it was nothing a dozen magnet release enhanced kunai couldn't handle. I had to go buy a lot of kunai to replace those I lost in battle, though.

By the end of the summer I decided it was time to start training nature transformation. I knew I was a wind and earth elemental from my kekkei genkai, but, nevertheless, I bought some chakra paper. As expected, the paper tore by the middle and crumpled to dust after I ran chakra through it.

I decided to start with wind, as it was an offensive element and I really wanted to enhance my kunai with wind chakra. Earth chakra, as I remembered it, had also a great skill I wanted to try, but it could wait.

So, remembering what I read in the manga, I tried to cut a leaf with chakra:

**Wind Release. Lvl 1. (0%)  
\- The rarest of nature transformations, transform chakra into wind or control the winds themselves. At higher levels, more advanced techniques can be used. **

Cutting or trying to cut a leaf slowly increased its level, just like levitating kunai did to my magnet release.

I knew wind was an amazing thing, you could compress it, accelerate it, expand it… and when the time came and I had the wind release skill leveled up enough, I could start experimenting with temperature, viscosity, compressions, expansions and supersonics.

Regardless of all the stress, the skill-leveling and the spider bashing sprees, there was just one exiting thing that happened that summer: I finally unlocked the iron sand.

It happened in the middle of summer when I was sharpening my kunai in preparation for a dungeon dive; I could somehow_ feel_ the metal particles floating inside the resulting slurry. With wide eyes, I rushed to get a finer whetstone and grinded a kunai dry against it. I was left with a minute amount of iron sand and I was able to make it float above my hand.

That day I was ecstatic, I was finally advancing on my kekkei genkai. I could control floating kunai and shuriken around me and fling them over with precision and a great deal of force behind them, and now I had access to the form that made magnet release a force to be reckoned with; the fucking Iron Dust.

I started to grind up as much kunai as I could while waiting for my chakra to recover, and by the end of the summer I had a fistful of iron dust at my disposal. I carried it around in my pockets at first. I had to concentrate and use a little bit of chakra to control the magnetic fields to maintain the sand in a solid shape, so carrying it around as a wristband or any other shape was a momentary thing I did in class or walking to train both my magnet release level and chakra capacity; I wanted the Iron Dust to be as natural as breathing for me.

I looted some interesting things from the dungeon bosses. Apart from ryo, kunai, shuriken and etc, I found a total of six venom capsules. The little glass containers had the same venom the dungeon spiders injected when they bit.

**Spider Venom Extract  
\- In case of accidental ingestion, consult a mortician.  
Causes intense pain in the affected area. -20 HP.**

Other than that, the spiders and the centipede didn't drop anything worth mentioning except absurd amounts of kunai.

Onwards to jutsu, my only way to get those was by dungeon crawling since I couldn't get into the shinobi library. I got the replacement technique scroll from the lizards that proved very useful against the spitting centipede.

**Body Replacement Technique. Lvl 1 (1%)  
E rank  
\- Replace yourself with an object of similar size.  
Cost: 10 Chakra Points per use**

I also got a genjutsu scroll on my third dive through the spiders, the False Surrounding technique.

**Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique. Lvl 1 (1%).  
C rank  
\- An area of effect genjutsu that layers an illusion over a location.  
Requirements: 30% Chakra control.  
Cost: 30 Chakra Points.**

And that was my summer: training myself to exhaustion, exercising, leveling up my skills, reading and meditating. Dungeon diving like crazy was the only way to receive experience and leveling up. And fuck I was leveling up fast; I finally caught up to my classmates.

**Character Status:  
Select an item to view additional information.**

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: Academy Student  
Age: 7  
Level 13 (610/8300)**

**HP: 290/290  
SP: 413/413  
Chakra: 574/574  
Chakra Control: 58%**

**STR: 25  
DEX: 37  
VIT: 27  
INT: 31  
WIS: 28  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 17**

**Money: 88260**

I can't forget Sadako.

After my father's death, she cooked a dozen muffins as a sort of "feel well soon" gift. I convinced her to invite old man Yataro to try those obviously undercooked horrors and fuck they were terrible, but we both swallowed a couple with a smile in our faces. The next day I bought a big bag of expensive tea to drink with the old man as reparation.

Sadako continued to visit twice a week just to check on me and sometimes to give me something to eat. Mostly sandwiches, you can't mess a sandwich too much, thankfully. She wanted to take the next chunin exams in Stone and was training like crazy. In my opinion, her sensei was an overprotective jerk, I learned that one of his teammates was the son of a council member and was a pampered asshole, her words, and that's the reason they didn't take almost any missions outside the village.

Did I believe she could make chunin after almost a year of training under a jonin? Well, skill wise, yes. From what she has been telling me and old man Yataro, she's skilled enough. She even dropped that naïve mentality regarding ninja life, became a more serious person and started to comprehend the real struggles of our line of work. We didn't really know about her leading capabilities though, and only time would tell.

I always wished the best for her; she was up for a tough awakening soon. I once witnessed my dad come back home with a thousand-yard stare and his white jonin vest covered in blood, and all I could do was stand there petrified. I stopped judging his drinking habits that night. This life we chose, the ninja life, was an unforgiving one. We could lose our lives in an instant, or worse, slowly. We could lose those we love and those that love us.

We would, eventually, lose our minds.

* * *

By the start of the next academy year there was a surprise waiting for me.

Ignoring all the new hopeful kids at the entrance of the building waiting to be herded to their respective classrooms to begin their new academy life, I went straight inside only to be stopped by Shinzo sensei.

"Kioshi, hey! I knew you were going to be early today," he said, "here come with me." He took me to his office with a proud smile on his face. His office was… frugal, but messy; a bookcase filled to the brim with binders and books, a simple wooden chair and a big wooden desk covered in papers and other files. "So," he continued sitting down and looking me with a big smile, "The academy received a letter from the Raikage himself yesterday. You, Kioshi, are being promoted to fourth year!"

I was confused, wasn't I too young to be promoted to senior year? I knew I was the top student of my class, but… I must have made a great impression to the Raikage at his office for him to send such a letter.

"From now on you have been transferred to classroom 402 under Ando Nakayama," Shinzo sensei continued after sniffling a bit, was he crying a little? "I'm proud of you Kioshi, you've proved yourself to be an exceptional student and I believe you will be a great shinobi. Just…just be sure to take things slowly please." He added with a little melancholy in his voice before standing up and patting me in the shoulder. "You'll have to catch up on a lot of things Kioshi, you'll need to master the wall walking exercise and at least start the water walking one in just a year and you'll have to learn the replacement, the transformation and the clone techniques you were supposed to learn the year you're skipping. I know you are talented on Taijutsu and Bukijutsu, but polish those up too. Oh, and maybe you should take the extracurricular lessons on kenjutsu if you like! This year you'll also start nature transformation so it's imperative to—" And he was on lecture mode again.

His words made me realize how far ahead I was on my training and that I grew by leaps and bounds. I was 4 years younger than a senior student and, somehow, I learned almost everything they were supposed to know. Was this an effect of the gamer's body and the gamer's mind or was it because of my own efforts? I was inclined to believe in both, it was a gruesome summer. It was another reminder that levels weren't such a reliable scale to compare shinobi.

When I arrived at my new classroom that morning, I was greeted by… different faces; expressions of surprise, disdain and apathy.

"Are you Kioshi Shirasu?"

I nodded to sensei, a black haired tanned chunin.

"Go and sit down," Ando sensei continued before addressing the rest of the students, "welcome back you all, it's good to see most of the same faces as last year. Only two students dropped out of the academy and that's a new record. So, to begin this year we are going to start with the theory of nature transformation. As most of you know, chunin are required to at least be able to use some jutsu of any nature. There are five types of nature chakra transformation, disregarding kekkei-genkai…"

I sat at the middle row, next to a blonde-haired boy with dark skin and bandages around his right hand. He looked at me and, to my surprise, whispered.

"Hey, I'm Tadashi. I heard you were recommended by the Raikage to skip to this year from your second."

"Hey, I'm Kioshi. And yes."

"Shit, we have to have a spar one of these days. You've got to be good, but I bet I can kick the shit out of you! Have you started with nature transformation yet? I'm a Storm release user, so my clan kind of start that training pretty young, thou not as young as you..." He continued eyeing me. "Fuck, you are young."

'Storm release, clan? Ha, so this kid is a Horiuchi'.

Kumo's clans were more like families with political ties with the village and some sort of shinobi special training. Kumo didn't have a lot of kekkei genkai like Konoha did, so clans were not such a big thing; the only exceptions being the storm release users.

From what I read at the academy library, almost half of the storm release users came from the Horiuchi clan. Yet, sometimes, some children were born outside of the clan and somehow carried the kekkei genkai gene -I wanted to believe it was a genetic thing, but hey, ninja world. Occasionally those children could be incorporated into the Horiuchi clan and change their last names. Darui might have been the case, but I didn't recall him having a last name though.

I looked at Tadashi, just to see him lazily taking notes. This kid might be interesting to spar with.

**Name: Tadashi Horiuchi.  
Title: Academy student.  
Level: 15  
Age: 11  
Tadashi is a senior student and is considered a genius among his peers.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

* * *

He was an interesting match. He hit hard, had a great taijutsu technique and he seldom gave any opportunity to counter. To my surprise, I won most of our fights and lost only one that somehow ended in a grappling match on the floor; the weight difference was notorious, sadly. The kid also had quite a sailor's mouth, cursing whenever he could and whoever he wanted. Mostly as insults to other kids, but with me, he seldom insulted me directly. He didn't even saw me as a younger kid, even with the age difference. He respected me, and that was a new thing for me.

I later discovered that three other clans had children in that classroom.

The Mizuno clan, a politically strong clan in Kumo, with a lot of older members working as advisors to the village's shinobi council. They specialized in ranged lightning ninjutsu and were known to be quite intelligent. Two girls in my class hailed from the clan, twins, I learned, and were constantly fighting to get the title of kunoichi of the year.

The Fuse clan was a clan of heavy hitters and notorious kenjutsu users, producing almost half of the blade wielding ninja of the village. They also had a lot of political leverage; the clan head was in charge of training Kumo's ANBU corps and, obviously, most of their own followed that path. I could easily recognize the Fuse clan member in my class; a somewhat short black-haired kid with bulky arms and a wakizashi strapped to its back.

The last clan was the Makino clan, which owned most of the iron mines in Lightning country and controlled the weapons commerce and most of the customs offices along its borders. There was nothing to note about their ninja, but they were a clan, nevertheless. The Makino kid in the class was a scrawny dark-skinned boy with an aptitude for genjutsu.

The last academy year was tough, but it quickly fell to the same old routine as the previous summer. Taijutsu and body exercises were more challenging, and the age difference was a drawback in most of them, but I was fast. Really fast. I focused a lot of my physical training in speed and DEX training -I even used some of the spare STAT points to boost it-, and the differences were astounding; kids at the middle of the scoreboard were no match for me, and the few that made me break a sweat were still slower. I got hit a lot, mostly when trying new stands and counters, but I learned from them, and the gamer's body took care of everything after a good meditation session.

When I told Tadashi that my primary affinity was wind, he went ballistic, demanding to have a ninjutsu spar to test his advances on lightning release and what he called a 'beginner's storm release jutsu' that he wanted to start working in as soon as he completed the initial steps on his water release training; we both were advanced. Ninjutsu fights though were heavily prohibited in the academy's training halls and, well, everywhere. Elemental manipulation was restricted to genin and above and we, as students, could only train in its basics with wooden dummies and leaves and whatnot. We could get into serious trouble for violating that specific law, so we didn't even try. After learning my nature, Tadashi's training became harsher than ever and our fights escalated up to the point Ando sensei once received a busted lip while trying to stop us.

"Remember the rules, strictly taijutsu fights. You lose if you step out of the area, you surrender or-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know." Tadashi interrupted sensei with a serious look and half a grin, never taking his eyes from me.

"Begin."

But neither of us moved. He was studying me just as I was studying him, it was our first match in a whole month. His left arm was coiled next to his left hip and his right arm extended to the front, both his fists were clenched and his legs separated; it reminded me a little of the Hyuga's gentle fist stand.

I was standing in the balls of my feet, legs slightly apart, my breathing calmed and ready to strike. My left arm relaxed, the back of my open left palm resting near my chin and my right arm slightly in front of me, with my right palm near my left hip.

After some seconds, he lounged and quickly threw a roundhouse kick to my chin. I blocked it with my left hand trying to grab his foot, but he flexed his knee and continued spinning. I took a step back to avoid the next kick as it had a lot of momentum behind it, and ducked under the following back handed punch, throwing my right fist into his exposed left kidney. He blocked my fist with his right hand, stopping his momentum and bending just a little, exposing his nose to my forehead.

**Hit!  
60 DMG.**

A crunch sound echoed in the practice hall before Tadashi skidded back with a bloody nose and a furious look. Whenever he got angry, he always tried to turn the match into a grapple fight, it worked only the first time and I could easily read his intentions this time.

He immediately lunged again with a right hook, using his taller frame as an intimidation tactic. I lunged left and threw my right palm upwards to his chin. He moved his head to the side and grabbed my shoulder with his already extended right arm, his stake at a grappling match. But my left hand quickly went to hold his extended right arm; my right hand was next to his face and I had the advantage: my legs were already poised to strike whilst his were overextended.

As his left fist flew trying to hit my exposed right kidney, my right knee flew up while my right hand grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

**Hit!  
50 DMG.**

**-40 HP!**

The impromptu hit I received to my right kidney was nothing compared to the knee he received to his sternum. And just as his mouth opened for a gasp of air and my left fist was traveling to his mouth from under his own still extended right arm, sensei grabbed my shoulder while yelling something.

I stopped my attack and ducked back, Tadashi didn't, and his right hook collided with Ando sensei's face.

Tadashi plopped down gasping for air and holding his broken nose, while I squatted holding my right side. We were both smirking at each other though, completely oblivious to sensei's yells.

* * *

My afternoons and nights were spent, as always, training, meditating and reading. I got into the habit of playing with the iron sand while reading or taking notes at home or even swirling the sand in my pocket at the academy. All in all, a kekkei-genkai should be a second nature to the user, right?

From time to time, I also walked around the village, mostly at nights, to calm my mind from all the training and melancholy. I found another dungeon at the back of the hot springs in the expensive part of the village, it was packed with big red salamanders that spat fire and were immune to genjutsu. The dungeon itself was a deteriorating version of the hot springs, set at dusk and with ponds filled with water so hot that a thick mist covered the whole area. The dungeon boss was a double headed giant salamander the size of a cow and just as fat which also spat fire from both mouths.

It really didn't make much sense to fight fire spitting animals in the middle of the hot springs, but I was forced to fight over the water, so I maxed that skill. I also got a cool unique drop from the boss, although it was worthless for me:

**Salamander Skin Belt  
\- Said to be made from the skin of the ageless Salamander King Fudo to help those who enjoy loneliness.  
Quality: Unique  
Gives complete immunity to intrusive genjutsu.**

It was a reddish-black belt that looked more like an old and slightly torn sash or a weird scarf, covered on very small opaque scales that felt rough to the touch. I saved it in my inventory until I could find a use for it, next to the gleaming golden pincers I got from the beetles.

The next dungeon I found was an abandoned warehouse in the red-light district of the village, full of large rabid raccoons that attacked in packs and a huge ninja dog as the boss that inflicted Bleeding Status with each bite.

The amount of experience I was receiving from dungeon dives was incredible, and that dungeon in particular was so full of enemies it became my favorite place to visit. I got two new jutsu from those dives, and they both were great.

**Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. Lvl 1 (1%)  
A rank  
\- Creates physical copies of thrown weapons while they are on the air.  
Requirements: 70% Chakra control.  
Cost: 100 Chakra Points per copy.**

**Petrifying Gaze Technique. Lvl 1 (1%)  
C rank  
\- When looking at the eyes of the enemy, immobilizes your opponent for a few seconds.  
Requirements: 50% Chakra Control  
Cost: 50 Chakra Points per use**

The first one was fucking amazing. If I remembered correctly, it created physical copies of shuriken or kunai like the shadow clone jutsu. I couldn't learn it yet as I needed more chakra control and the chakra cost was high, about 200 chakra points per clone with my current control, but given time…

The second was a jutsu I never heard of, but it was very useful. All I needed to do was maintain eye contact for a second and the target would be immobilized for a moment. It was amazingly useful against the raccoon packs in that last dungeon, as I could immobilize one of the attackers while I dealt with the others. The chakra cost was steep, but it paid off.

After I completed the advanced taijutsu practice and the skill maxed out, I went to old man Yataro's.

"How's academy treating you boy?"

"Well enough, boring at times."

He kept smoking his pipe while reading the book on is lap, one about conflicting laws between clans and village regimes. He was an avid reader of anything he could get his hands on, I learned. He already lent me a lot of semi-obscure books about shinobi arts and history during my academy years. He had a collection of political treaties from Stone, some medical textbooks from Konoha, a puppet design manual from Suna… I was convinced some of those were banned in Kumo.

"I finished the advanced taijutsu book. It was amazing by the way, so thank you for that. Your notes about stability and balance while maintaining an advantageous weight distribution were really us-"

"Those weren't my notes, Kioshi," he interrupted me, "those were my father's."

Ok, wait. First, he called me by my name, then he told me that was his father's personal book and he actually lent it to me?

"I… I…Thank you, sir." I answered with a deep breath.

The next Saturday he handed me a dusty handwritten book full of diagrams and schemes of katas and crossed out notes on limb positions and whatnot.

"My father named it 'Veiled Fist', it is not easy and it still needs some work around the edges. I couldn't finish it, so I leave it in your hands."

And that's how I got my hands on an extremely rare taijutsu style, and how I started to visit the old man two times a week, always bringing strong tea and some snacks.

**Veiled Fist Lvl. 1 (1%)  
\- A difficult to telegraph and difficult to master taijutsu style, it also takes advantage of hidden weaponry to inflict damage.  
Increases unarmed and armed melee damage by 1%.**

* * *

Sadako came back injured from the chunin exams in Iwa and had to spend some days at the hospital.

She was promoted to chunin along one of her teammates but the other one, the son of the council member, lost an eye, three fingers and almost went deaf. He decided to retire from the shinobi life and take over the family business.

When I went to visit her at the hospital, I found Sadako lying on the bed. Her other teammate was sitting right next to the bed, holding her hand.

**Name: Maro Kanada.  
Title: Chunin of Kumo.  
Level: 35  
Age: 13  
Maro is a chunin from Kumo and wants to become a respectable member of the shinobi force, just like his parents.  
Relationship level: Good.**

"Chipmunk!" She half smiled half yelled when I entered the room. "I'm so glad to see you!"

I walked to her bedside, looking at the bandages that covered the right side of her head and her right upper arm.

"Are you ok?" I asked her as calmly as I could.

"I got hit hard on the last round of the exams, a fire jutsu. I won that fight but couldn't continue the next one." She took a breath before continuing. "I'm ok now, the medics patched me up there and the doctor here said at most I might end up with a scar on my head. B-But hey! Maro here won the whole thing!"

Her tone, the bags under her eyes, the insincerity of her smile… I looked at her intently. "What happened?"

"I… I just co-"

She shut her eyes tightly, a couple of tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It was too much for her, for us." Maro spoke while holding her hand, "We got ambushed by a team of Ame genin during the second part; I almost lost my right leg from a sword and Sadako almost got hit with poisoned senbon. Eventually we got the upper hand, but they didn't surrender… the last one standing blew herself and her injured teammates up with a bunch of exploding notes that she had hidden under her shirt." Sadako whimpered and Maro held her hand tightly. "It was… gruesome. I tackled Sadako down but Kuniaki was too close… We ran and carried him to the rendezvous point as fast as we could, he was bleeding out to fast, but sensei and the medics couldn't do much to remove the shrapnel. He was escorted here to Kumo with the other teams. We… we decided to stay and complete the exams." He paused for a moment with his eyes shut. "That… that explosion… her teammates were still alive!"

I held Sadako's other hand until she stopped crying.

After her recovering, Sadako decided that it was enough and entered Kumo's medic program to train to be a med-nin. I saw her even less frequently, but from what she said on those rare occasions, she was doing great. The Shinobi Hospital had just a few medic nins and fewer genin interested on following the career, they were severely understaffed and underfunded. But Sadako was happy to be saving lives instead of taking them, always looking up to be the new Tsunade; a nasty scar over her neck and right ear as a constant reminder of that day.

* * *

Before I realized, it was the end of the academy year and I was still training full time day and night, and dungeon diving on Sunday mornings.

Ding!

**Quest Completed!  
Let's see how far we go.**

**Graduate the Academy**

**Rewards:  
+1500 Exp, Master-level Antidote (3), Forked Lightning technique scroll.  
New Title available.**

Ding!

**You have received a new title!**

**Title: Genin of Kumo.  
15% faster Skill growth, better rep with residents of the Land of Lightning.**

The academy graduation exams were easy.

Stand over water -not walk over water, just _stand_-, release a genjutsu, make a clone, show the replacement and the transformation techniques, show the first step of nature transformation -the leaf one- for extra credits, fight with a classmate and answer these questions about village politics, ninja history and general shinobi knowledge.

That was it, and about a third of the kids failed the written exam or couldn't stand over water for more than three seconds; most couldn't complete the nature transformation exercise.

"Pretty shitty batch of genin this year it seems. Grandpa always complains about how 'shinobi are not as they used to be' and shit, but man... even some orphans passed the exams but one of the fucking Mizuno twins failed the written portion. Fuck."

Tadashi wasn't happy. We were sitting at class, both with brand new hitai-ate on our foreheads. The day after the exams, the official last day of academy, we were supposed to hear different lectures of how our teachers were proud of us and how they hoped the best for us and all. Half of the class, myself included, were bored as hell.

"Any bets on team placement?" Tadashi asked me.

"Not a clue." I answered.

From the quest completion, I received some antidotes that might come in handy if I ever encounter a poison my resistance couldn't handle.

**Master-level Antidote  
\- A high priced antidote that cures most poisons and venoms.  
Cures up to A rank toxins. Drinkable.**

The lighting jutsu, on the other hand... maybe if I ever learn Lighting Release, I might give it a try.

**Lighting Release: Forked Lightning.  
B rank.  
\- The user emits a lightning bolt that jumps to nearby enemies.  
Requirements: 50% Chakra Control, Lightning Release Lvl. 30**

"So, before we move into team placements," sensei spoke loudly, interrupting my personal musings, "the best student award goes to Kioshi Shirasu. Congratulations."

Some kids clapped, other didn't give a rat's ass and Tadashi just turned his eyes and muttered something along the lines of "fucking baby genius stealing my spot".

"Now, team 1 will be Kioshi Shirasu, Kazuya Fuse and Tadashi Horiushi. You'll meet your sensei at training ground 13 after lunch…"

I looked to my right, only to find Tadashi giving the stinky eye to the Fuse kid. He looked back and nodded his head with a lopsided smile on his face; his wakizashi resting at his side, propped against the desk.

Kazuya Fuse, good with the sword and talented in taijutsu. He was a reserved kid, staying mostly to himself and rarely talking in class, but he always wore a proud expression on his face.

**Name: Kazuya Fuse.  
Title: Academy student.  
Level: 17  
Age: 11  
Kazuya is a genin from Kumo and wants to win his father's approval.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

'His father's approval?' Maybe I leveled the Observation skill to the point it was finally showing more information, useless as it was.

After all the teams where called, Kazuya came over to talk to us.

"Hey," he said offering his hand and smiling, "I'm Kazuya Fuse. Should we go have lunch together?"

"Look man," Tadashi quickly responded, "not to be an asshole or anything, but go fuck yourself a little and then a little bit more. I eat alone and this one here," he said pointing at me, "he doesn't eat lunch here at all." He turned around and walked away with his hands in his pockets. He was pissed about something, probably because I took the top spot from him.

Before I could say anything, Kazuya shrugged his shoulders and walked the other direction. 'Well, as long as they work together as a team, everything should be alright.'

After lunch, Kazuna and Tadashi were waiting for me at the academy's entrance. All the last year kids were there, some showing their families their brand new hitai-ate with varying degrees of happiness while some others had tears in their eyes and were being consoled by others.

"Do you know where training ground 13 is?" Kazuya asked me.

I nodded and began walking in the direction of the training grounds, both teammates were following me.

The three of us wore almost the same attire; blackish ninja pants and short sleeved t-shirts and dark blue ninja sandals. Tadashi still wore his bandages around his right hand and a purple scarf over his neck. Kazuya was wearing his hitai-ate on his left arm just below the shoulder and was wearing a brown leather strip across his chest to hold his sword's scabbard in his back; the wooden handle of his wakizashi pointing up between his messy black hair. I was wearing the same outfit, the Rat pendant tucked in between my chest and my t-shirt and a Kunai pouch on my right thigh. I bought a new pair of gloves after I outgrew my old ones, and my new ninja sandals were completely closed, in contrast to the more common open toe sandals my teammates were wearing. Everything else I had stashed in my inventory; the empty sealing scrolls, the poison capsules, the antidotes, etc.

"Who do you think we'll get as our jonin sensei?" Kazuya asked trying to make small talk while we walked.

"Well, we were among the best of our generation and we have the local genius fuck here too, so I'm betting on some powerful jonin."

He was right, the three of us were on the upper levels of our graduating class. Kazuya was level 19, Tadashi was 21 and I was already at level 23. I've been training myself to the ground -blood, sweat and tears- and it was showing.

"Like who? From what I known, only low to mid-level jonins are assigned genin teams. So I don't think we'll be getting Dodai or B-sama…" Kazuya answered.

"Can't we get an ANBU jonin?" I asked specifically to Kazuya.

"Unlikely, the clan head is always complaining about the lack of ANBU members and how they need more recruits. I don't believe they have the personnel to assign to genin teams. Besides, inner regulations state that only a regular jonin can take a genin team, an ANBU member would have to resign first."

"Shit. Well, let's hope for a strong jonin, I have a lot of training to do yet to start my storm release transformation."

"Did you finish your Water release basic training?" I asked.

"Nah, I don't need to, I can force it anyway. I just need to improve the chakra molding and work on the fucking hand signs."

"It's always better to finish at least the intermediate exercise of one element before moving to another, especially if it's a nature combination." Kazuna responded "That's what dad says anywa-"

"Yeah yeah, fuck that. I know what I'm doing, ok?"

"What about you Kazuna, what's your affinity?" I asked.

"Lightning. I'm practicing now channeling chakra through metal so once I finish the intermediate lightning training, I can flow lighting chakra through my sword. What about you, what's your affinity?"

"Wind." I simply responded.

He nodded and we continued to walk in silence.

We arrived at training ground 13 and sit down under a tree. Kumo's training grounds were a collection of flatlands located in three small valleys to the east of Kumogakure. Small if you compare them to those huge lower valleys that surrounded the mountain range where the village was located; in reality, the training grounds were large and were divided by four-feet tall stone barriers. Training ground 13, the last one, was deep into the valley, at the base of a small set of almost impassable stony hills that marked the outer rim of Kumogakure. It was mostly covered in grass and scattered with big rocks and some huge trees. Now that was the middle of spring, those trees bore countless green leaves that danced with the winds. At the center of the training ground was a small clearing with ten straw dummies, that's where we plopped down to wait for our sensei.

"So, what's your specialty, fucker?" Tadashi asked Kazuya.

"Kenjutsu, taijutsu and a little bit of genjutsu, but you already knew that. I want to specify on kenjutsu and lightning release and want to develop some mid-range jutsu for support. You?"

"Taijutsu and shurikenjutsu mostly, I want to develop lightning jutsu to complement my close quarter fighting and once I get a hold on the fucking storm release y want to specify on ninjutsu. I've been practicing a fucking lot my chakra control and improving my chakra pool. My sister has a fucking dreadful training routine she promised me she would start me on after I graduated, so I'll be bothering her today to start that shit."

They both looked at me.

"I'm a close quarter fighter too, taijutsu and kunai wielding. I have a good aim-"

"Good aim? We know you asshole can hit a fly with your left hand from a hundred feet away while holding your dick with the other hand. Fucking kid, trying to be modest and all."

"Ok, ok," I continued, "I've got great aim with shuriken and kunai. I'm good at genjutsu too-"

Tadashi scoffed looking at me.

"I'm fucking great at genjutsu and basic ninjutsu, ok?" I looked at Tadashi annoyed. "I want to improve my wind manipulation to use with my blades and–"

I stopped talking and turned my head to the west. A small disturbance was heading our way, I could feel metal moving in our direction.

That was another thing I discovered when training the magnet release, I could passively feel or sense metal all around me, specifically when such object was moving. Since all shinobi wore metal, be it kunai, a hitai-ate or the metal reinforced jonin vest, I could sense with varying degrees of precision any ninja around me. I could clearly feel Kazuya's wakizashi, Tadashi's kunai filled holster and our respective hitai-ates.

But right now, we turned to see a blonde figure walking in our direction from the entrance of the training ground 13.

When she came closer, I recognized her immediately and, for the first time in months, I genuinely smiled.

**Name: Yugito Nii. **  
**Title: Jinchuriki. **  
**Level: ? **  
**Age: 20**  
**Yugito is the jinchuriki of the Two Tails, Matatabi. She's a loyal shinobi of Kumo and takes pride in her status as jinchuriki. **  
**Relationship level: Very Good.**

"Hello all." She said when she was close enough.

My teammates had their eyes fixed on her, slack-mouthed.

"Holy fucking shit, Yugito fucking Nii! Are you our sensei or is this another fucking joke from my sister?"

"Tadashi Horiuchi, Kazuya Fuse, Kioshi Shirasu; I'm Yugito Nii. I've been assigned as Team 1's jonin sensei."

I felt a huge weight drop off my shoulders; she was alive and well! She looked just as the first day I met her years ago. You could tell she grew up a little, but somehow, she looked younger, she looked calmed, happy even. Her hair flowed with the wind, glistening under the sunlight, no longer braided.

"Hello, I'm Kazuya Fude."

"I'm Tadashi."

The three of them were waiting for me to speak.

"I'm Kioshi Shirasu."

A small smile dangled on the corner of her lips before turning serious and straightening her back.

"Team 1, you were chosen to be a heavy hitter and front-line unit to serve the Land of Lightning as proud shinobi of Kumogakure. I was assigned as your sensei to teach you the ways of shinobi, I willtrain you to the ground and farther below, and you will be thankful for it. You will become the best team of the decade and I," she leaned a bit towards us, narrowing her eyes with a sinister smile adorning her face, "I do not fail. Do you understand?"

We all smirked.

"Yes." Kazuya answered.

Tadashi and I nodded.

"Good." She continued with a stern expression, "Get some spare clothes and extra weapons, have a big breakfast: tomorrow we start your training here at 8 am sharp. Dismissed."

As Tadashi and Kazuya nodded and began walking away, both with a small smirk on their faces, Yugito turned to me.

"Kioshi, a word?"

The muscles in her face tightened forcing a poker face, but her worried gaze betrayed her.

"Have you eaten recently?" She asked me blatantly.

I was struck back a little but answered with a dubious look.

"I… have."

"Good," she continued, "have you been taking showers, doing your laundry, cleaning up your house?"

"I have." I responded. It wasn't a lie, I did take care of my hygiene daily, I sweat a lot when training, and I clean the house every other week; it's not like I mess up the place much neither. What was she digging for with these questions?

"Good," she answered taking a more relaxed posture "I was worried you were… I know your parent's death must have been painful, but you helped me once when no one did and I don't want you to end up in that same place. Your file said you barely speak with anyone besides that old jonin Yataro Sada and that Hirano girl, and even then, you barely see them on a weekly basis. You don't even try to make friends and always went straight home after class. Look Kioshi, that detaching behavior is a sign of deteriorating mental health, and I… I think you're deliberately avoiding human interaction to protect yourself from something. I don't know if you understand me-"

"I understand," I interrupted her looking down to my feet, pain in my words, "You're right, I've been isolating myself, maybe to avoid dealing with my parent's death…" 'And to cover the fact that I'm not really a kid and I'm already tired of this fucking world.' I added bitterly in my mind. "It's just, for those who haven't lived it it's hard to comprehend, but it's worse to listen for us who have. Desperation, that is." She was right, I was avoiding the truth, that I was stuck in this world without knowing when or if I'll ever wake up from the coma, that this was a world I didn't comprehend, and I was mostly alone.

"Hey." she interrupted my thoughts. I raised my head and looked at her now caring eyes. "In this line of work, we need to be strong, mentally strong. We need to find a reason to do what we do and find people we care about and trust. I'll be there for you, Kioshi, always, and I'll train you as best as I can."

My mouth curved upwards a little.

"Thank you."

"To start," she continued, her expression stern again as if nothing had happened, "I want you to invite your teammates for lunch tomorrow."

"That's… a good idea." I answered.

I wasn't hopeless, and as she left the training grounds, I made up my mind. Fuck the timeline, fuck Madara and fuck the Otsutsukis; I finally had something worth fighting for.

**New Quest.**

**\- Whenever I saw a wildflower lie.  
Protect Yugito.**

**Rewards:  
?**

'If there's something worth saving in this world, it's you.'

. . . - . . - - - . . . - . . .

"So," the Raikage started the meeting, "reports on the new genin?" Ten folders were stacked on top of his desk, and ten jonin stood in front of him.

"Meh, team 3 was a disappointment. They didn't talk to each other because both girls had a crush on the same kid, while the other teammate was screaming at the top of his lungs for them to shut up. You can tell the kid was the dead last, but the other two girls don't have the wood to be shinobi." A green haired jonin spoke. "Get it? Wood? They don't have the wood bec-"

"Silence!" Interrupted the Raikage. In all his years as the leader of the Village Hidden in the Clouds -which were only a few since his father's death during the third war- he's never been able to completely restrain his shinobi. In fact, disregarding his brother who was an oddity by himself, every jonin in Kumo seemed to have some sort of eccentricity which always translated to them breaking protocol and speaking out of place.

"In order!" He continued, looking at the figure of a young woman standing in the back of the group. She was reserved, she was proud, she was strong. 'A fine example of how a jinchuriki should be trained.'

"Yes A-sama." Yugito Nii began. "All members of team one aced their genin exams and are as exceptional as their files stated. The three of them are strong enough to be trained as a heavy hitter team and seem to accept each other as teammates. Tadashi Horiuchi might have an issue with authority if his cursing is anything to go by, but all three were eager to start."

"What about the young one?" The Raikage asked.

"Kioshi Shirasu," she continued with a poker face, "From what I saw during his graduation exams, an extremely capable shinobi for his age… He-"

"C'mon Yugito," the jonin standing next to her interrupted, "not even Yondaime-sama graduated with perfect scores. Is he really that smart?"

"No, not smart" she replied, her gaze a bit unfocused, "He seemed… old."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_So sorry for taking so long to update. Got a call from my old job to work on a very late project and we were running around like crazy. Also, I went on vacations afterwards and was able to write a lot, but with such a slow and extremely sporadic internet connection I couldn't access the websites I normally use to check grammar and spelling. So, it took time._

_That small third person portion?, I'm planning of adding those at the end of each chapter to help showcase the state of the Naruto world outside of Kioshi's personal pov._

_Regarding some questions: Don't worry too much about Stat points, the system was set from the beginning and all the growth curves are already estimated. Kioshi basically receives double the points each level in comparison to normal characters (1 point per stat vs 0.5 per stat), and that's disregarding training._

_And in case you haven't noticed, I normally go through the old chapters to correct any spelling mistakes and update them. Only spelling or grammar mistakes, no changes to the story whatsoever._

_The story will get some momentum now, and training montages will be shorter and less frequent starting the next chapter._

_Edit: chapter reviewed for spelling mistakes... there were quite a few._

_As always, point out any mistakes you find, and a big thank you to those who already did!_


	8. Chapter 8: The Mighty - Part 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Mighty, Part 1.**

"So, if I'm reading this right, team formations come in three flavors: Attack, Protect and Move," I continued, "and each formation depends on the type of mission, location, weather and a shitload of other factors too." Kazuya nodded. "It's plainly stupid to memorize this kind of things only to never use them with your teammates unless each of them falls under one of these categories…"

"Yeah, I mean, where the fuck are we?" Tadashi started, "A heavy hitter team where none is specialized as support, whose jonin sensei is a heavy hitter too, and we have to learn all this fucking stupid ANBU formations? Fuck you, Kazuya."

"Well," Kazuya commented looking at the book, "it is something we have to learn eventually and-"

"Yeah, but fuck you anyway. I'm not learning a hundred and one formations that we'll never use until we start working with other genin teams. Are there any fucking formations for heavy hitter genin teams under a heavy hitter jonin?"

"Let me see…"

We were sitting inside a small café close to the entrance of the training grounds, all three of us having lunch while discussing an ANBU training book Kazuya borrowed from his house. He was rummaging the book while Tadashi was clearly bored, playing with the leftover ice on his glass.

"If we are ever escorting or protecting someone on a mission, the idea is simple: that person cannot die. So, we should just use a triangle formation with the fastest one in the back in case of an ambush," I started, "Or maybe the strongest ones should cover the rear and the faster one on point… In that case, the jonin should be stationed even further back in case of an ambush if we don't have a sensor." Granted, I'm some sort of sensor if my ability to sense metal is anything to go by, but that's still a secret; I've trained my magnet release to a point I don't really need to consciously move my chakra around, but it still uses just a bit of chakra, enough to be detected by any jonin and I wanted to keep my kekkei genkai a secret as long as I could.

"Yeah, but who would protect the person?" Kazuya interjected.

"Anyone, the last fucker to be engaged, maybe. It's not like any of us have some sort of people-protecting jutsu or shit."

"Why not an echelon formation if the attackers all come from one direction?" another voice talked from behind.

'Observe.'

**Name: Kouki Sohda. **  
**Title: ****Genin of Kumo****. **  
**Level: 18 **  
**Age: 12**  
**Kouki is a recently graduated genin from Kumo. He followed the shinobi path only because all other members of his family had done the same. **  
**Relationship level: Neutral.**

Kouki was another newly graduated genin from our class, a middle lister with no notable specialization whatsoever.

"But we are only genin, we might not even sense if the enemy tries a diversion tactic to slip through a one sided formation." Kazuna answered looking back.

"Yeah, that's a war formation and it relies on shinobi capable of holding a line against another attacking formation, which doesn't really happen in shinobi wars. Even more, that formation was originally conceived for samurai bowmen; we might be able to use it as a moving formation in some terrains, but it's too open to serve as a protection." I added.

"But he's not wrong though. Most of the clients we'll be protecting along our careers will be civilians and we'll be forced to move at a civilian pace." Another voice joined from our right.

**Name: Chinatsu. **  
**Title: ****Genin of Kumo****. **  
**Level: 17 **  
**Age: 12**  
**Chinatus is a recently graduated genin from Kumo. She believes her only way to succeed as an orphan in this world is to become a shinobi. **  
**Relationship level: Neutral.**

"Yes, but you are talking about general war formations designed mostly for samurai," I interjected, "shinobi do not use formations unless under strict orders; guarding a place, prepare an ambush, etc. Even in war, shinobi fights are reduced to quick scuffles and duels. Those formations, columns, lines, echelons and wedges are solely used by shinobi to hold and defense or support platoons under direct attack. If we are going to discuss formations for each team, we have to specify each team nevertheless."

"The fucker is right. We are a heavy hitter team and have to work with it." Tadashi added. "Also depending on the situation and the type of enemy that's attacking..."

"We are a sensor team, so we mostly take turns between us to sweep the area." Yet another voice interrupted. "During civilian escort missions, I normally take the front and my teammates the back in a triangle formation. They are both specified on mid to long range and genjutsu support, so the heavy hitting is left to me."

**Name: Umeko Kumagae. **  
**Title: ****Genin of Kumo****. **  
**Level: 26 **  
**Age: 13**  
**Umeko is a genin from Kumo. She works hard to be a respected shinobi to maintain her mother and her sick little sister.**  
**Relationship level: Neutral.**

"But what do you do in case you are ambushed anyway, and someone gets past your sensors?" One of the other genin asked Umeko.

"We normally react: the fastest goes to protect the client and the other two intercept the attackers. Sometimes if I'm closer to the client I take the place of caregiver. All in all, it depends so much on the situation and after training with each other for months we can simply make decisions on the fly."

"So, we have to train together like crazy until we can make those assessments on the fly then." Kazuya concluded.

"It seems like so, yes. We should learn the formations but adapt them to our own strengths and limitations. A triangular formation to escort civilians might be the better one to start, and we can work our way to one that feels better to us. We should train that too and ask Yugito sensei to help us." I concluded, remembering to refer to Yugito as sensei when she's not around.

Five other genin were now lounging around us, throwing in their cents to the conversation or just listening with thoughtful expressions. The other shinobi around the café, jonin and chunin alike, were also sparing glances at our now busy table.

"Your jonin sensei is Yugito Nii?" Another genin asked incredulously.

"Yes, and she's as tough as you imagine." Kazuya answered the genin.

She was. Her training routine this morning was gruesome. Sprinting exercises, pushups, jumps and hurdles. The three of us were tired as hell, and both Tadashi and Kazuya were covered in bruises and limping a little. Not that I was in such a better shape, but at least I was clearly recovering faster.

Yugito was right; inviting the two to lunch to this shinobi café was a good idea. My teammates were smart, quick to react and were capable of taking and giving advice when needed –Tadashi in his insulting way, but his intentions were in the right place, I hoped. There was no sign of that child behavior I worried about from my experience in the real world, my real world; shinobi kids, whether from training, family or just because of the world we are living in, were clearly more mature and I was happy to find that.

* * *

I strafed right and went on the offensive, a kunai in each hand.

The clear signs of a replacement technique surrounded Yugito, so I dashed left worried about any attacks while looking for the real one. I sensed her to my left and turned just in time to block her attack.

I countered with a slash to the neck and tried to slip past her defense, but she read my intentions like a children's book and moved her arm to block the kunai that was heading for her kidneys.

Out of the blue, her foot connected with my sternum hard, and I flew back.

I replaced myself with one of the stones lying next to the area, but, obviously, it didn't stop my momentum. I turned mid air and skidded back on my feet, my eyes roaming the area looking for her.

"Stop." I heard from my right. Yugito was standing next to her clone. "Why didn't you go through with your attack when I replaced myself?"

I relaxed my posture and took a deep breath, that kick hurt like hell.

"You can't replace yourself with an illusionary clone, so that should be an elemental clone. I wasn't going to risk taking the fight to a clone that could be a lighting clone waiting for a hit."

'Observe.'

**Yugito Nii [Shadow Clone].**

Well, that was a shadow clone and it didn't have an ounce of metal on her. Note to self, I wouldn't be able to sense a clone sneaking on me, but I could single them out from the original enemy without _Observing_ them just by sensing if they had any metal on them.

"Correct, and impressively quick deduction by the way." She said "You also replaced yourself without using handsigns, which is great for a genin."

Oh, that. After my chakra control reached 60%, all jutsu I had maxed out didn't require handsigns anymore, which indeed was fucking great for a genin.

"You are improving well; your taijutsu is efficient and polished. It's not easy to read your movements even for a jonin like myself. Your use of kunai and supplementary jutsu is top notch also."

"You read mi slash easily." I commented.

"Yes, but it wasn't muscular memory, I had to analyze your movements."

These last weeks have been amazing. Yugito would train us physically in the mornings and would make us practice taijutsu, ninjutsu and formations on the afternoons. She wouldn't really teach us anything directly, that was left for us personally, but she would answer all our questions accordingly.

On Wednesday and Friday mornings, we would take a local mission that mostly comprised of patrolling civilian areas, fetching documents from the Kumo's watchtowers and, sometimes, assist older genin and chunin in escorting civilians to and from the village's gates. Most of those missions were given to new graduates to slowly incorporate them into the shinobi way of life and get us used to the intricacies of how the village worked. There were no D-ranked missions as shown in the manga, no capturing cats or painting fences, for which I was grateful.

Kazuya was practicing his water walking on a small pond on the border of the training ground, while Tadashi was working on his nature transformation sitting next to a big rock.

"Hey asshole! Stop worrying too much about maintaining a good posture, just concentrate on your fucking feet and then you can polish whatever the fuck you want."

That was Tadashi's way of thinking, get on to the thing, and you'll figure out the details on the way.

Kazuya, in contrast, was a perfectionist; whenever he tried anything new, he would try to get it perfectly from the beginning.

"I got this." He answered gritting his teeth and continued with his training.

"How's your nature transformation going?" Yugito asked me after dismissing her clone.

"Well enough. I can channel wind chakra through a kunai, I'm only having problems giving it a cutting shape, but I'll get there. I just need to train more." I answered.

"Don't push yourself too hard; what you and Tadashi are doing is very advanced. Him combining nature transformations and you trying to shape it... that's a jonin skill." She said with her stern voice but a small smirk in her face. "But, you two might make it. How's your genjutsu?"

"Also much better. Say, Yugito, are you immune to genjutsu?"

She widened her eyes a bit, but answered looking serious.

"Not immune, why would you ask?"

"Well, from what I could infer, the Nibi's chakra is coursing through your body, right?" She nodded, so I continued. "Maybe that chakra could interfere with foreign chakra invasions. Or maybe, if you and the Nibi are close, she might scramble your chakra with hers to release a genjutsu."

It wasn't a completely mad idea, the biju had influence on the host body and genjutsu are created by forcing tiny amounts of chakra into the victim's brain, mostly affecting their senses in a certain way. Knowing the way and being able to do it was one thing, but knowing what the victim was going to see or hear was another thing altogether. The Hell Viewing Technique tampered with your emotions, particularly fear, and that depended solely on the victim's internal fears. The False Surrounding was based in vision and hearing, and depended on what you wanted to show them, anything too unbelievable and your genjutsu would be noticed straightaway. I believe that Itachi's Tsukuyomi tampered with all five basic senses in an advanced way, even capable of distorting the victim's sense of time. If I ever specialize more in genjutsu, I would love to try other senses too. People believe there were only five senses, but there were more ways the human body perceived the world and itself; temperature, balance, pain, vibration... there were a lot of other things to experiment on.

"No," Yugito's answer broke me from my musings, "I'm not immune to genjutsu, though I'm good at detecting them. It is true that biju chakra is mixed with my own chakra, but it's mixed well enough that it doesn't interfere with my senses nor foreign chakra."

"And if you consciously use the Nibi's chakra?"

"I... I haven't-"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted her, "I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry."

"No, no. Is just that... whenever I'm consciously using Mat- the Nibi's chakra I tend to lose most of my rationality, enough for me to forget to check if I'm under a genjutsu or not."

There was bitterness in her words, so I didn't push the subject anymore. Her slip didn't go unnoticed though.

* * *

My spars with Tadashi were a very fun occasion now that we could use ninjutsu freely. His ration techniques, mostly supplementary, were very ingenious. He created his own technique, releasing concentrated lighting chakra from his fists a short distance away; I got hit by an underpowered one as an experiment and it really messed up my movements for a short time. It was a nice attack, but it was still too slow; he needed a couple of seconds to charge it and in shinobi fights a couple of seconds may be too much. It was a great technique if he could distract his opponent while charging it, and by the way he would use his free hand to hold his charging fist, it reminded me of the Chidori, sans the sound.

My response was creating a simple wind technique that funneled wind chakra from my mouth. I tried to recreate what I thought I saw in the manga and by channeling chakra to my lungs and converting it to wind chakra while I ejected it from my mouth, I created the jutsu:

**Wind Release: Great Breakthrough. Lvl 7 (18%)  
C rank  
\- By breathing out compressed wind infused chakra, the user creates a strong gale from the mouth. Stronger winds require more chakra.  
Requirements: 55% Chakra control, Wind Release Lvl. 15  
Cost: 53 Chakra points per use. **

The thing about wind jutsu: their chakra cost was fairly low, and I was guessing it was because of my natural affinity. A big powered Great Breakthrough only costs me about 80 Chakra points with my current control, which was really low for a wind current capable of throwing a person up in the air. With each level up, the chakra cost reduced and its power increased. It was a great counter to Tadashi's lighting jutsu and was far quicker to do. I only needed five handsigns, while his required eight and more charging time. I tried to use it to impulse thrown kunai, but it wasn't very reliable; it messed their trajectory too much. I had my magnet release for that.

Kazuya was advancing more slowly. He was still struggling to channel lighting chakra through his sword -a chunin level technique from what Yugito told him- and he was getting pissed. He hasn't finished the water walking exercise properly; he could walk but not run yet and was falling behind on his physical condition. He was pouring his life and soul to training, but we could see him growing impatient when comparing himself to Tadashi and me. You could say that was a mistake and that we three were already more advanced than any other recently graduated genin, but you can't deny the fact that your point of comparison would always be your direct competition, in this case, your teammates.

Anyhow, we were proud to say that whenever we fought Yugito together, even she was hard pressed on her defense. A little bit. Sometimes.

"Yugito-sensei, when are we taking a mission outside the village? I'm already fucking bored with the routine!" Tadashi was walking in our direction, sweeping the sweat from his brow. "And fuck the simple ones, I want a proper C-rank mission."

He was right, we haven't left the village since we became a team, and we have been advancing by leaps and bounds. We were more than ready.

Yugito looked sternly at him and then lifted her eyes to the sunny sky. "Let me see what I can do."

Tadashi nodded and smiled. "That's going to be fucking great, ha?" he said to me

"Yes," I said, "It will."

"We'll have to go through team formations again tomorrow, we have to practice those more." Tadashi finished, walking away. That was the first time I heard him say a full sentence without cursing.

* * *

Kumo's shinobi library was a huge letdown: it didn't have any jutsu scrolls or books, it only had some advanced taijutsu books I didn't really need and some advanced bukijutsu and shurikenjutsu that I rented home. I believe the village was heavily centered in keeping information safe and avoiding spies and jutsu stealing. When I asked the elderly librarian for any jutsu scrolls or books, he simply said that all was taught at the academy or by sensei-student relationships, and no copies of any techniques are kept in any public building by general decree. Public, he specified; which meant that shinobi families and clans might have their own private collection.

What the library did have were hundreds and hundreds of shinobi related material; books on ancient history, archeology, shinobi law and such; but also had books and maps depicting the different landscapes of the elemental nations: the dry deserts around Sunagakure and known oasis, the mountains of the Land of Lightning, the Land of Fire and its forest and even the badlands of the Land of Earth. Those were interesting enough for me to check out and devour at nights. There was also a collection of warfare related small books, leadership strategies and unconventional war tactics, disinformation, insurgencies, guerrilla and occupations; all forgotten at the back of the library.

**Map added:  
Elemental Nations: Landscapes.**

The most useful book I found was one regarding poisons, venoms, antidotes, etc. I even got a skill by reading it. I tried making poisons by myself, but the only ones I could craft were not poison per se but toxins; simple liquids similar to the Spider Venom Extract that made wounds fester or burn and that I could cover my kunai with… but I wanted to save those for my iron sand, maybe.

**Poison Crafting Lvl. 1 (1%)  
\- The art of crafting poisons, toxins and even venoms from available materials. At higher levels, stronger poisons can be crafted.**

**Basic Toxin  
\- Keep out of reach of children.  
Can be made from a variety of easily obtainable ingredients.  
Provokes intense pain in the affected area. -20 HP.**

The one book I directly stole from the library and kept in my inventory was an old book about counter terrorism, special reconnaissance and infiltration. That was an interesting read, and when mentioned to old man Yataro, he asked me to lend it to him after I finished reading it; he didn't care about the fact that I stole the book from the Library.

So, before our first C-rank mission, I went to the new dungeon I saw at training ground 5; it was time to enter a new dungeon and get some experience points already. I was also looking forward to trying out all the new jutsu I learned.

At the back of training ground 5, next to the small dividing walls, floated the bluish orb of light:

**Dungeon Found!**

**Dungeon level: 25.  
Enemies: primates.**

**Enter?**

This dungeon was a simple forested area, in contrast to the grassy plain that was training ground 5, with a lot of trees scattered randomly but enough space among them to maneuver; a dome of blurred with light surrounded the large area of the forest where I was standing. The sun was up in the sky, shining harshly over the green scenery and a small breeze was kissing my brow.

I summoned a kunai to each hand and the iron sand from my inventory, almost a bucket full of sand randomly floating above my head. I breathed in a big gulp of air before relaxing my body and looking attentively at the forest surrounding me; as all the other creatures in the dungeons, I doubted these ones would be wielding any metal for me to detect.

A ruffling of leaves and hard stomps alerted me of something coming in my direction.

It was a big baboon-like creature, taller than me by a few centimeters, with black and gray fur and big canines, looking at me intensively and banging the forest floor with its front paws. It was pissed, and I knew that these primates were stronger and more vicious than they looked, so I had to tread carefully.

'Observe.'

**Feral Baboon.  
Level: 24.  
\- A highly territorial creature.**

On my command, the iron sand soared in its direction. I didn't will it to form a giant hand or a pyramid like the Sandaime Kazekage did on the manga, only to stick to one of the creature's ankles and one of its wrists to stop its movements.

The primate clawed the chain looking shackles on its limbs hysterically and trashed around trying to free itself from the iron shackles -that was a nice name by the way- but I kept them fixed. I was watching attentively; it was the first time I used the iron sand offensively against a real opponent.

When the creature tried to grab a rock from the ground with its free arm, I violently pushed the shackles and the baboon back but made one serious mistake: I pushed the iron shackles apart.

**-42 Chakra.**

**Hit!  
400 DMG.  
Severe Bleeding applied.**

The loud scream-like howl reverberated across the forest as the ape's arm was ripped out of its socket, blood spattering into the forest floor. Immediately, I flung both kunai to its throat, still amazed about how gruesome that was.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
725 DMG.**

**Feral Baboon Killed.  
300 Exp awarded.**

Without thinking it twice I ran up the nearest tree, that howl would undoubtedly call more apes. I willed the iron sand back to myself, letting it form a belt around my waist. Willing the iron sand to form a defined shape that I could carry around as a part of my attire still uses some chakra, just below my regeneration rate, and I wanted to experiment on what was like to use it like that while in combat situation.

I summoned one more kunai from my inventory; it was time to test the new skill I was working on.

**Flying Swallow. Lvl 5 (27%)  
B rank  
\- Infusing your weapon with wind chakra, its cutting power and critical damage increases.  
Requirements: 65% Chakra control, Wind Release Lvl 25.  
Cost: 25 Chakra Points per use**

The kunai glowed blue, wind chakra covering its cutting edges with a very soft hum. This jutsu was a bitch to create: if maintaining chakra on my hands was difficult at first, doing it on a kunai was worse and changing its nature and shape was hell itself. But I had time and with each level it increased I could channel more chakra to make the wind blade longer.

**-35 Chakra.**

A growl alerted me of two baboons scanning the area and losing their shit when they noticed their dead comrade. Immediately, they began howling while looking and sniffing around. Knowing it was just a matter of time before they found me on their home turf -mostly because I couldn't hide my own scent- I acted.

Snake, Dog, Snake, Rat: 'Petrifying Gaze.'

**-67 Chakra.**

One of the baboons was immobilized in place, its eyes unmoving.

I threw the wind infused kunai to its chest, while willing the iron sand to move to the other creature.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
870 DMG.  
Critical Bleeding applied.  
Target is immobilized.**

The kunai hit the animal square in the chest, entering right above the clavicle, ripping a huge hole and embedding itself on the ground behind him. It probably went right through its spine. All it could do was release a weak whimper before collapsing back, gasping for air.

Just as the other baboon detected me and was starting to move, the iron sand grappled its torso and pushed it to the ground on its back. I jumped with a kunai in hand.

**-21 Chakra.**

**Hit! Critical x5.  
725 Damage.  
Severe Bleeding applied.  
Cranial Trauma applied.**

I landed on top of it, stabbing the baboon in its eye, piercing its skull with a loud crack. Even though the creature had its brain pierced, I knew it wouldn't completely die until I dropped its HP to zero. I also knew the bleeding would eventually take its life, but I replaced myself with a rock and threw another kunai to its head; maybe it could still try to attack me as a reflex.

**-14 Chakra.**

**Hit! Critical x5.  
725 Damage.**

**Feral Baboon**** Killed.  
300 Exp awarded.**

The other baboon was lying on the ground in a pool of its own blood with his eyes closed, its mouth was moving gasping for air, like it was trying to howl but no sound came.

**Feral Baboon**** Killed.  
300 Exp awarded.**

That was macabre, but even though I used about a fifth of my total chakra points, witnessing the iron sand move on my command was a surreal experience. The sand was fast, I could move it around without having to concentrate much, and it could immobilize any target I wanted. The flying swallow was also amazing, and by the numbers shown, it increased damage and also applied a bleeding status.

I understood I had to practice these skills up to the point where they would become instinctive, but this, this felt... right; the adrenaline, the rush!

The rest of the dungeon was more than a walk through the park, it was a massacre. The iron sand, my genjutsu and the wind enhanced kunai made short work of all the baboons in the area, even when they attacked in groups of three or more.

The dungeon boss was a gorilla, a big silver-back gorilla with huge hands and long sharp teeth that could even use some sort of earth jutsu to cover its knuckles with stone.

**Silver Back Gorilla  
Level: 27.  
\- Its gray hair is ****not ****a sign of wisdom.**

But it was too slow, and with a combination of poisoned kunai and the iron sand it tipped like a cow.

For completing the dungeon, I received a very valuable item.

**Belt of the Monkey God  
\- Said to be worn by the great god Sarutahiko when fishing shellfish.  
Quality: Legendary.  
+10% to DEX while wearing this item.**

That was a legendary item! And it gave a percentage boost to DEX in contrast to the Rat Pendant that gave a flat 2 point increase. I immediately examined it; it was made of aged black leather, with an old looking buckle made of iron with the kanji for 'ape' engraved. And of course, I immediately wore it.

It was a fruitful dungeon dive.

* * *

"Okay team, I got a C-rank mission for us. It's a courier mission; we are to deliver rotational orders to the southern borders. I expect us to take two days to arrive and two back, we may rest there after we deliver the orders to the patrolling teams. Pack accordingly and bring the basics, we travel light. We'll meet tomorrow at 8 am sharp at the main gate. Dissmissed." Yugito said to us three days later, "Kioshi, stay a minute."

I looked at her, she was chewing on her lower lip

"We are not expected to run into trouble during the mission, but it's always a possibility. I know clans and shinobi families have these conversations with their children before going into missions but... " she took a breath and looked away, "do you understand you might need to take someone's life during a C-rank mission, any mission?"

I knew that, I been thinking about it for some time now and all I concluded was one thing.

"Yugito, I know. I would love to tell you not to worry but..." I inhaled, "I don't like the idea of killing another human being indiscriminately, not if I can avoid it. But," I continued before she could interrupt me, "I understand I'll have to kill if someone tries to kill you or my teammates, but's that's only an idea, something I have never proven and I wish to believe. The truth is, I'm nervous and I don't know how I'm going to react when the time comes." I concluded. It was sometimes easier to simply tell the truth; all in all, even someone younger than you might have the answers you need.

"Don't worry, if the worst is to happen, I'll be there for you."

I smiled, looking at the mountain peaks around us, bathed in orange lights; it was late in the afternoon and the summer sun was setting.

"Why are you wearing lipstick, by the way?" I asked her.

"I have a date now." She answered with half a smile and gazing at the passing orange tinted clouds.

The wind was slowly tuning colder, another of Kumo's short summers was ending.

**Quest Created:  
What's barely seen is always there.**

**Deliver the Raikage's orders.**

**Rewards:  
8000 Exp, C-rank mission payment.  
**

* * *

At 8 am sharp I was waiting at the Villages gates. I double checked everything that night: 250 kunai and about the same number of shuriken were stored in my inventory, along with four changes of clothes, first aid supplies and most of the things I looted from the dungeons. My iron sand was inside the inventory, even if I was itching to carry it as wristbands during our trip, the chakra usage would alert any sensors in the area; I was now a proper shinobi, and I could be forced into interrogation if any suspicious chakra usage or behavior was observed. In my leg pouch I carried 10 kunai, some shuriken and some sealing scrolls with camping supplies and rations bar; I still had to pretend I was a normal shinobi. I was wearing a standard issue shinobi pants and a long sleeve black shirt, both a pain in the ass to find on my size, my hitai ate was tied over my forehead, holding my somewhat long grayish black hair, and a dark crimson scarf was tied around my neck. I wanted a little bit of color without sacrificing stealthiness.

I was standing at the gates with Kazuya, waiting for Yugito and Tadashi to arrive. The morning sun was barely above the eastern mountains and the cool morning breeze was blowing around.

"So, anything that ANBU pack that regular shinobi don't?" I asked my teammate.

"Yes, but it depends on the mission. Some assassinations require special instruments and 'uniforms' and other missions like domestic inspections and searches require special ANBU members that carry specialized instruments."

"Did you bring anything out of the ordinary for this one?" Not everything was on the books, so better ask someone with more experience.

Kazuya thought for a while before answering. "Only extra rations and a second first aid just in case, I don't believe this mission really requires anything out of the ordinary."

"Yeah well, same here. Packed a couple of books too in case we get fucking bored." Tadashi just arrived and gave his two cents. "I hope we see some action, I can't wait for a good fight, a real fucking fight."

Kazuya remained serious while I took a deep breath with my eyes closed.

"No no no, don't tell me you are nervous, kid."

"Meh, I just don't wish for a fight if we can avoid it." I answered Tadashi ignoring his last remark.

"Yeah, ok, right." He finished rolling his eyes.

"Good morning team." Yugito was approaching us with a small scroll on her hands. "These are the orders we have to take to rendezvous point number 4 on the southern border. Tadashi, you are carrying the scroll the first day." The red scroll had the village's symbol inscribed over the wax seal, signifying official orders from the Raikage himself. "We'll follow the main road down for five kilometers and then we'll diverge to the south west. Let's move."

We began our trek down the hundred stone steps that connected the big gate of the village with the main road ahead. The law stated that every person leaving or entering Kumo, whether shinobi or civilian, must do so through the stairs and at walking speed, unless it was a serious emergency, an ANBU team under direct orders from the Raikage or a state of war was declared.

The walk gave us time to contemplate the vast blanket of clouds under us, extending to the horizon and covering the lower valleys. Some mountain peaks could be seen here and there, their tops peaking over the cloud blanket. To the north east, the peaks of the Land of Lightning's highest mountains stood covered by gray clouds: The Thundering Peaks. According to the history books, that area was almost permanently shrouded in thunderstorms and only the craziest shinobi ventured there. There were stories -and archeological evidence to support them- about ancient temples to long lost deities, erected on the top of the mountains that still stood proud amid the thunder clouds. I was definitely going there at some point.

After we crossed the cloud line, the land of lighting opened to us in its entire splendor. Huge valleys covered the feet of the mountain range where Kumo was and on the horizon, you could see how it merged with another mountain system to the south, its peaks lower where we were standing. The valleys were uneven and semi-desert, covered with dry short grass, with some trees scattered here and there and some fast water courses, probably fed by seasonal snowmelt, flowed in the direction of the hills on the horizon. Many hills covered with large rock outcrops were scattered by its surfaces, a landscape that during winter snowfall would achieve an incalculable beauty and that I was already determined to visit. Right by the middle, the gravel road meandered to the south.

"Okay team, we now move at shinobi speed. Keep up and remember to be alert."

We three nodded to Yugito and followed her pace, not a fast one, but above genin level.

After crossing the first valley, we began our climb to the White Water mountain pass over the next mountain range, part of the southern mountain system of the Land of Lightning peninsula, which ranged from the south east coast to the north west coast and served as a natural barrier against invasions. It wasn't as tall as the central system in which Kumogakure was located or the ranges at the north east end of the peninsula, but it made for a perfect moisture barrier so rain clouds wouldn't come from inland; this made the central valleys a semi-desertic area, where only drought resistant crops could be grown.

At the end of the day, with the sun already setting, we stopped at a steep rocky slope after the White Waters mountain pass that connected to the huge low lands valleys where the border with the Land of Frost was. Temperatures were low in this area, which meant raw winters and very rainy falls. Moreover, these valleys extended beyond the border, where winters became even more raw and gave the Land of Frost its name.

"Okay team, I want you to set up your tents with all the necessary details, fly sheets and all. We will light a fire later." Yugito addressed all three of us once we stopped.

"What? Fly sheets? What the fuck do we want fly sheets for. It's not rainy season and there are almost no clouds in the sky! And this is the worst possible terrain for setting up camp, exposed to the fucking elements and without any suitable vantage point for… Oh."

Exactly. We would camp here just to practice and review the set-up protocol of a winter camp. After all, in the future we could get a mission in the middle of winter or to the interior mountain ranges of the Land of Lightning, which were covered with permanent snow caps and where many inexperienced shinobi have lost their lives after losing their way.

While I was struggling to insert the stakes into the ground, Tadashi interrupted me.

"Hey, no no no, don't be an idiot. The terrain here is impossible to pierce without an earth jutsu which none of us has. There are too many rocks on the surface and the soil is too compacted. What we are to do in these cases is to tie the guy ropes to any big ass rocks we can find in the area, or look for some shelter where to support the structure and take advantage of- You know, fuck it; didn't your parents teach you this kind of shit?"

I looked at him with a blank stare. "My mother died a few years ago, my father the spring of last year."

"Oh," he said with half-closed eyes, "well, you should have read more books since Yugito-sensei doesn't seem to care to help us."

"Yes, since we are in the middle of a steep rock formation and without protection against the elements," Kazuya spoke while tying his tent to some big boulders, "you have to secure the tent with rocks, and make sure that the covers will not be flown away during the night."

"And remember to check the vents," Tadashi chipped in in a condescending manner, "in winter you could be up to your balls in snow and venting water vapor is even more important that in summer to avoid condensation. Also-"

He went on explaining about everything that was on the books, like I have not read and memorized them before; did he really think I didn't know that basic stuff? Why was he so hostile? The boulder tying system wasn't in the survival books, though.

To my left, lying on one of the large rocks that sprouted out of the ground with her hands crossed as a pillow, Yugito looked at me and nodded when our eyes met, then continued to watch the sunset.

That night we didn't sleep in the tents, we slept in our sleeping bags over the rocky ground looking up at the stars. I took the first watch of the night, not that it bothered me, and when the time came, I woke up a snoring Kazuya for his watch. I laid awake in my bag the rest of the night, watching the stars unfold. I couldn't recognize a single constellation, but I was happy to continue making my own.

The next day, after waking up early and eating shinobi rations as breakfast, we raised the camp and continued our march to the border.

"Team! Keep a triangular formation and slow down. We will enter guarded territory so don't make any suspicious movements and don't attack unless provoked to avoid altercations."

Later that afternoon, we were finally approaching the border with the Land of Frost. The landscape was changing; the grasslands and their small and isolated leafy birch trees gave way to a somewhat scattered forest of tall and verdant pine trees, the ground covered only with moss and some patches of thick yellowish green pastures. Judging by the marks on the bark, winter in this area also brought a lot of snow, probably from the clouds obstructed by the mountain range that we had just crossed the day before.

As we approached a clearing, Yugito stopped at the entrance.

"State your purpose." A voice echoed around us.

"Yugito Nii, carrying new orders to patrolling squads."

A shinobi came to view on a high branch of one pine tree.

"Greetings, Yugito. Is this your genin team?"

"Yes. Kioshi, Kazuya, Tadashi, greet Kichi Yasui. ANBU of Kumo, currently overseeing ANBU patrols of the southern edge of the Land of Lightning."

We three nodded at the shinobi. He was wearing the regular ANBU uniform, a gray version of the white jonin vest of Kumo; his face was uncovered, and I could see his tired eyes looking at us, studying us.

Kumo's ANBU only wore masks when their missions entailed anonymity and only in those circumstances did they use numbers instead of names; a name was something more important than a title for the village's black ops unit, or so Kazuya explained it.

'Observe.'

**Name: Kichi Yasui  
Title: ANBU of Kumogakure.  
Level: 98  
Age: 29  
Kichi is an ANBU shinobi from Kumogakure. He specializes in infiltration and assassination missions and is currently on border patrol duty as punishment for drinking on duty.**

"Very well, let's look at those orders."

Yugito motioned Kazuya to hand over the scroll, which he was carrying the last part of the way. He stepped forward to the shinobi that had just came down from the tree and extended his hand offering the scroll. After a few seconds, the shinobi took it, inspected it and finally opened it.

"It's a standard protocol between ANBU; when delivering a package to a superior, it is only offered with an extended hand and he'll grab it after checking it, and only if it's not suspicious." Kazuya whispered to us when he stepped back.

The ANBU's face contorted a little with every line he read.

"These motherfuckers, I can't believe it." He grumbled as he finished reading. Seeing Yugito's raised eyebrow, he clarified. "They want us to increase the ANBU patrolling frequency on all the borders and secondary ports. Again. All this without providing more resources or more staff. Ugh, border patrols are already stretched thin as it is."

"Without more shinobi, increasing rotations will only make patrols hastier and likely to overlook something important." I blurted out.

"Exactly, and that makes this decision stupid at best and dangerous at worst." The agent answered with a sigh. "You can spend the night in the refuge to the west if you like, I still have to go to the general security station to plan new routes and assign new orders. Maybe we can make the trajectories more efficient."

"Thanks Kichi." Yugito replied.

"No problem." The ANBU replied and disappeared into the forest with a body flicker.

'Note to self: learn the shunshin.'

"Alright team, as part of your training we will spend a night in the shinobi border shelter. There will be other shinobi, probably chunin and above, so behave. Remember, shelters are mainly used as security and rest areas, starting fights or interacting with prisoners on any way, if there is any, is prohibited."

* * *

The shelter was an old bunker-like structure made of solid rock, it was shaped like a big dome with small windows and a single entrance, and it was imposing. The external walls of the building were almost two feet thick, probably built with some sort of jutsu to protect the interior from the cold outside during hard winters and to be used as an outpost in case of war. A room 30 feet long and 20 feet wide served as a reception, where there was a shinobi stationed at the entrance who asked us for our identification cards. Yes, shinobi always had to carry their identification cards on themselves. The place had several tables, one with some documents and scrolls scattered on top and an old shinobi leaning over them; some wooden doors were closed in the back wall.

Yugito walked straight to the shinobi studying the documents.

'Observe.'

**Name: Soichiro Kamo  
Title: Jonin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 91  
Age: 49  
Soichiro is a jonin from Kumogakure. A war veteran, he's the commander of the southern border patrols in the Land of Lightning.**

He was a bulky person, with his gray hair cut short and a gray mustache over his lips. He was wearing the standard issue Kumo jonin attire; a white hitai ate on his forehead, black pants and long sleeved black shirt with the contrasting white jonin vest over it and a stern expression on his face.

"Is this your team?" The jonin asked smiling at Yugito once we approached him.

"Yes," she answered with half a smile, "team, meet Soichiro, jonin. He's currently responsible for this control point."

We all nodded.

"Hey son, how old are you?" He asked looking at me.

"Seven, going eight." I simply answered. There was always at least one person per mission that would ask me how old I was. I could understand that, I wasn't short for my age, but Tadashi and even Kazuya were noticeably taller than me.

"I haven't seen a genin so young since… well ever, but hey, welcome to control point number four of the southern border." He went on addressing all of us. "Here we handle the shinobi and ANBU patrols on this border and control the shinobi teams, the civilians and merchants that use the Hokenzo road into the Land of Frost."

"Is this a customs office?" Tadashi asked.

"No, the customs office is further north along the road. The patrolling shinobi and ANBU not only protect the borders from foreign invasions, they also monitor shinobi teams trying to enter or leave the Land of Lightning; even foreign shinobi entering as diplomatic envoys or on specific missions use the entry roads and stay on merchant roads to avoid suspicion and to ease control. On some occasions, patrolling teams escort merchant caravans to the customs office if it's required; mainly if they are transporting valuable goods. This refuge in particular is used as a resting point for patrols or as a temporary jail if it's needed, or even as a proper snow refugee in winter." He sighed and continued, this time looking at the map over the table. "Lately, there has been a lot of movement on the border, a lot of undocumented cargo have been tried to move through; grains, produces, the like. We have even stopped some drug trafficking. At least it's better than the eastern border with the territorial waters of the Land of Water, where seizing drug shipments is a daily occurrence."

If drug smuggling has increased, what was its destination, I wondered?

"Has violence at the borders increased?" I asked the jonin directly.

"Not as much as one would expect, it's mostly the smuggling that has proliferated around the borders. Civilians who smuggle undocumented cargo try to enter undetected through the forest and sometimes with armed protection -armed civilians and hired swords mainly, not shinobi. Patrols have had their hands full."

'Then, what happened to dad? On which border did his team get ambushed?' This was the only land border of the Land of Lightning, the rest were oceanic borders and entry ports.

"Why ANBU and regular shinobi patrols?" I asked again.

"There's always at least an ANBU patrol per border. From time to time we might get the occasional missing-nin trying to enter, so…"

I nodded. That made sense, considering how easy would be for a strong shinobi to enter any country undetected.

"That's enough team," Yugito turned to us, "go explore the place and learn how a shinobi shelter works, it could save your life sometime."

Yugito was like that, she didn't explain unless asked and expected us to learn, discover and solve our issues by ourselves.

Tadashi immediately went to the closed doors on the back, so I turned to Kazuya.

"Do you want to explore the place?"

"No," he replied over his shoulder, already walking to the entrance, "I have to train."

I took my time wondering around the refuge. The doors on the back lead to a bathroom, a storage room full of firewood and provisions and to two meeting rooms. One of them had various maps of the borders of the Elemental Nations on display, with the border crossings marked with little flags. Even some smuggling routes and other non-official crossings were scribbled.

**Maps added:  
Land of Lighting smuggling routes.  
Elemental Nations: borders and control points.**

The last door led to a staircase descending into a long hallway, with several doors to the right and to the left; simple bedrooms with some bunk beds inside. At the end of the hallway, there were a couple of bathrooms, a suspicious looking metal door that I assumed was the door to the prison part of the refuge, and a big communal area with a huge table and a small kitchen. It was there that I found Tadashi playing cards with two other shinobi.

**Name: Washi Horiuchi  
Title: Chunin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 47  
Age: 25  
****Washi is a chunin from Kumogakure. Belonging to the Horiuchi clan, Washi has always been ashamed of not inheriting its clan kekkei genkai despite being the son of the clan head. **

**Name: Mashai Kinoshita  
Title: Jonin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 87  
Age: 41  
Mashai is a jonin from Kumogakure. Known for his experience with tracking and medical ninjutsu, Mashai would have loved to become a full time medic shinobi.**

"Hey cousin, is this your teammate you were talking about the other day?" The young shinobi asked Tadashi in a deep voice. My teammate turned his head to the door, looking at me.

"Yep, that's the one." He simply answered and went back to his cards.

"Well, you were right, he is a small squid. Hey, wanna join the game?" the chunin asked me. "What? Oh come on, relax!" He added when his cousin scoffed at his proposal.

Washi was wearing the standard issue chunin attire and his hitai was tied around his neck. His bald head, black eyes and relaxed expression contrasted with his deep voice and dark skin. On the other hand, the jonin was a tall and lanky individual, with white hair and red eyes and wearing a dark red full-body jump suit and a jonin vest on top.

"Yes, relax a little," the jonin intervened, "breaks like this are rare nowadays. There's too much movement and too little personnel that even the ANBU are stressed and those guys are though. Some years ago, these rooms were full of shinobi telling stories, laughing and competing in stupid stuff. Hell, I don't remember the last time I had time to play cards here! So, enjoy the break. And speaking of which," he leaned to the side and took a big bottle of sake and some small ceramic cups from under the table, "with almost all personnel out on the field, a bottle lasts a long time. You up for some?" He finished looking at me while pouring four cups.

"No." Yugito's voice said from behind me.

"C'mon Yugito, old enough to kill, old enough to drink, right?"

"He's seven." This time I looked at her and she was serious.

"Ok, ok. It's your team, no reason to get angry." The jonin said shrugging his shoulders, passing the filled cups to Tadashi and his cousin.

"Go find an empty room Kioshi, and settle there." Yugito ordered harshly.

'Why is Yugito so... angry today?' I nodded and turned around to find a room for myself.

I spent the rest of the afternoon meditating and reading one of the books on unconventional warfare I got from the library. I wouldn't try to train my magnet release with all the shinobi around.

Without much to do, we all went to our bedrooms early that night. I was sitting on the bed training my observation skill it finally leveled up and got a new effect:

Ding!

**Observe. Lvl 50. (1%)  
\- Observing what's around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed. Passively observes nearby characters.**

I immediately noted small semitransparent windows floating around my range of vision, each stating a name. The larger windows belonged to my teammates.

**Tadashi Horiuchi  
[Neutral]**

**Kazuya Fuse  
[Good]**

Tadashi was sleeping in the bedroom next to me and Kazuya on one to the right; the small windows were floating right where I guessed they would be sleeping.

'This is fucking great!' I thought. I could identify people around me without having to 'Observe' them, and even if they were in another rooms or hidden behind walls. 'How far can this thing go?'

Judging by the size and position of the rest of the windows, the other shinobi currently inside the bunker were sleeping, or at least were inside the other bedrooms. Another smaller window was floating above the others to the right, Tadashi's cousin, probably on guard duty.

'So, the smaller the window, the farther away the person is.'

There was one more window on the ceiling above me, it was Yugito; she was awake and it seemed she was on top of the bunker, unmoving.

**Yugito Nii  
[Very Good]**

Making up my mind, I got up.

"Don't wander too far, kid, we're expecting a patrol to arrive at 2 am, and they are all very jumpy after their patrols." Tadashi's cousin warned me at the entrance.

"I'm just going to see my sensei."

As I predicted, Yugito was lying on the top of the bunker looking up at the stars with her hands behind her head and her golden hair tucked to the side, the light of the moon reflecting on her dark eyes. The full moon was shining over the pine forest, basking everything with its light, but barely visible through the trees.

"Hello" I said to her, siting at her side.

"Hey," she answered without moving, "why are you up?"

"I don't really sleep much. I wanted to see the stars before going to sleep." I lied. "Why are you up?"

"I don't feel like sleeping tonight."

I took the hint; from her voice there was something troubling her. I lay down next to her and we fell into a comfortable silence.

"Kioshi, how did you know I was a jinchuriki back then?"

"Are you referring to that time over the bridge to the training grounds some years ago?"

She nodded. I knew that the identity of Kumo's jinchuriki wasn't a secret in the village; everybody, shinobi and civilians alike, praised B as the Protector of Kumo.

"Old man Yataro once told me about the biju, about you and B and how you were to be seen as protectors of Kumo."

"And you weren't afraid?"

"No," I answered quickly, "no I wasn't. Why would I be afraid?"

"Kids always get scared, even shinobi kids." She replied. "Clans normally talk to their children about the biju and how we jinchuriki are weapons to be used for the glory of Kumo. They always end up mimicking that way of thinking; I was actually surprised that your teammates didn't see me just as a weapon of mass destruction." She sighed. "But what is worse is the civilian population. B proved to them that he was in control, that he was there to protect them; plus, he's the Raikage's adopted brother. Me, on the other hand… people are still afraid of me, afraid of me losing control." Her eyes were red and there was a hint of sadness in her voice. I couldn't bare to see her like that.

"I know about the issues the civilians have with jinchuriki," I said with a sad smile, "but I never agreed with those; accepting stigmatizing labels often leads to isolation, resentment and fear. That time I recognized you on that bridge, I saw all of it; the sorrow, the pain, all because of something that was forced upon you. I saw the consequences and I am sure as hell you didn't deserve those!" Yugito was looking at me intently. "You are not a weapon, Yugito. You are a human being, just like me, just like everyone else. You were dealt a bad hand, and that was all. It was never your fault."

The full moon was high in the sky now, shining over the tree tops. "Maybe one day, if I rule the place, I might change all of it." I continued. "I'll bring peace over the elemental nations and ensure no one will have to follow the shinobi path, maybe end it altogether." I looked back at her beautiful eyes and smiled. "And maybe then we could eat all the sushi we want without worrying about the future and the next mission… and I'll create a new type of tea, a really strong one and it would become a success throughout the elemental nations and I would make millions."

Then, for just a couple of seconds, Yugito's teary eyes relaxed, and she laughed.

"Ok, then, when you become the ruler of the nations, I will refer to you as Emperor Kioshi!"

"No," I answered smiling, "you shall call me King Jeremy, the wicked, and I will rule this world!"

We laughed a little more, but her eyes still had a glint of sorrow.

"Do you think is possible, to stop the fighting?" she asked.

"Maybe, but at least we can start with the sushi part."

"Thank you."

. . . - . . . . - - . - - . .

As the three shinobi played cards, the jonin's mind was wandering.

"Aha," he suddenly exclaimed banging his palm over the table. "Now I recognize him! I heard about the kid with the mismatched eyes that was acing the academy! That's the little genius, Denji Shirasu's kid, no?" he asked Tadashi.

"He said his father died." Tadashi simply answered, not taking his eyes from the cards. Everyone always asked about him, the genius kid, the one that aced the academy, the one with the mismatched eyes. Even among his own clan, all they ever asked him at home was about that kid, not how's he doing or even about his Storm Release training, it was always about the fucking kid.

"Ah, yes. He died at the western end of this border, near the coast. That's one of the few shinobi scuffles we've had that it's still unresolved, actually." The jonin continued. "I went on some missions with the guy; great support and middle range fighter with a big heart, always covering the back lines. He shouldn't have come back to taking missions that soon to be honest."

"What do you mean, was he sick?" Now Tadashi was interested, if only a little.

"No, no," the jonin answered taking a deep breath, "he was taking local patrol missions in the village after his wife died years before. Last thing I heard about him was that he took up drinking; local patrol duty was the only thing he could do without endangering his teammates on higher ranking missions... maybe he shouldn't have signed up for border patrol missions until he c-"

"So he was an alcoholic then." Tadashi interrupted him with disdain.

"Well, we all deal with our problems in our own ways. Look, kid. Don't judge your teammate based on his father, ok? He was a good shinobi, with a good heart. He just couldn't cope with his wife's death and being a single father. I'm just happy his kid turned up alright."

"Yeah, but you know what they say," Tadashi continued, "the apple never falls far from the tree."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_This particular chapter was almost 20k words long at the first time of writing, and it was so full of unnecessary details and thoughts that I trimmed it quite a lot. I think it has a faster pace now._

_This is part one of two of a very important episode on Kioshi's life! You'll have to wait and read, because missions... well, they don't always end up as you expect them to end._

_I went again through the old chapters to change some typos and error, and I think some of you get some sort of alert when I do that._

_As always, __please keep pointing out mistakes and such and __thank you all for your comments!_


	9. Chapter 9: The Mighty - Part 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 9 – The Mighty, Part 2.**

"So, wind is a special thing," I continued, "you can adjust its compression, speed and even temperature, but they are all related. Whenever I attempt to increase the pressure of a wind jutsu, the volume decreases unless I also try to consciously maintain it. And in that case, temperature rises. It also works the other way around, if I seek to maintain the temperature, volume increases. On the other hand, if I somehow increase the volume without increasing the total amount of wind chakra I'm pumping into a technique, then pressure and temperature drop, but those are very, very unstable. And that's where I hit a wall: trying to make a vacuum based wind jutsu is technically impossible, the amount of chakra and control needed to maintain the low pressure and temperature required against the ambient pressure it's insurmountable." Well, I knew it could be done; Danzo used vacuum wind blades when he fought Sasuke on the manga. "I know it all boils down to one simple law: pressure, volume and temperature are all correlated, and altering one evidently means that its other properties will also change. But, there's one other property that I had yet to consider then: Viscosity."

I took a breath from my ramblings to sip on my tea, old man Yataro was sitting next to me looking at the top of the mountains and nodding to each idea I threw during what was now a lengthy monologue.I, nevertheless, continued.

"Viscosity is such a weird thing. Chakra, when within the body, behaves like a simple liquid: its volume and density won't change when pressurized, you can only produce more chakra. You can accelerate it to increase its thermal energy -that's the basis of the Winter Coat jutsu- but you can't change its density by pressure alone. However, once chakra leaves the body it acts like a gas: you can change its density, pressure, velocity, vorticity, and everything accordingly. It's its viscosity that's just weird. Whenever you try to raise its temperature, its viscosity decreases. Decreases! And that's fucked up because whenever you increase the internal energy of a gas, its viscosity should raise. So, raw chakra outside of the body behaves like a liquid in terms of its viscosity but also like a gas in terms of its density variation when compressed. Chakra is a compressible fluid."

Old man Yataro was nodding with a slight frown. "Okay, but, where are you going with this?"

"That the Great Breakthrough created itself once I realized chakra can be compressed only after it leaves your body, and I found the exact moment to change its nature to wind: too much compression before changing its nature and I couldn't convert all the chakra to wind, too little and the jutsu lacked power. But," I emphasized raising my finger, "the flying Swallow technique was a bitch to create. I couldn't just create two layers of grinding raw chakra first and change its nature afterward, the pressure differential fucked up the jutsu. I also had to think in terms of viscosity, because two layers of wind grinding against each other like a blade meant a shitload of friction and pressure drops that destabilized the whole technique."

I took a moment's pause and continued.

"To decrease the viscosity of air, one must reduce its temperature, not increasing it as happens with liquids, and that sucks because increasing thermal energy is way easier than decreasing it. So far, I can only create the wind blades by pumping them with excess chakra that makes them hum and glow, and I rely solely on chakra control to maintain their shape. If I could somehow find a way to decrease the temperature of the wind blades, they shouldn't even glow or hum. They would be almost completely invisible and would use very little chakra." I finished my cup of tea and reached for the kettle for a refill. "So, a vacuum blade is the only answer since I don't have the Ice Release kekkei genkai, but I can't put my head on how to create it. Also, air being compressed lacks the molecular disarray that gives the Great Breakthrough its power, so—"

I turned my head left, as I felt the familiar metal configuration -hitai ate and modified reinforced jonin vest- moving in our direction down the street. Yugito was walking with a smile on her face, carrying a small package.

"Good morning Kioshi," she said to me. She then noticed the old man and added, "You must be Yataro Sada, Kioshi speaks highly of you."

"Yugito Ni, good morning. Kioshi also speaks highly of you. Please, take a sit and join us. We were discussing chakra stability." The old man kindly smiled while motioning me to bring the third garden chair closer to the small table.

It was already the end of summer, the chilling air of Kumogakure's towering mountains coursed around the village, promising a crude fall and a harsh winter. I moved the chair closer and wiped away the collected dust with my sleeve.

"Thank you," Yugito started once she sat down, "I'm here to give you a gift."

"A gift?"

"It's your birthday, boy." Old man Yataro answered my questioning look.

'Holy crap, it is.' Indeed, my stat screen now stated that I was 8 years old.

"Don't tell me you forgot?"

"Sorry Yugito, I don't really keep track of these things. Usually it's the old man or Sadako who remind me of my birthday." Just as I finished that phrase, another metallic signature entered my sensing range.

"Hey Chipmunk!" A yell from the other end of the street greeted me.

"Speak of the devil. Hello girl, how's hospital life treating you?" The old man grandfatherly greeted Sadako once she came closer.

"Hello! I haven't got much sleep lately, but it's ok. Hey Kioshi h-" Sadako choked on her words once she noticed Yugito.

"Girl, don't stare. It's rude." The old man admonished her.

"I-I'm sorry. Hello, my name is Sadako Hirano." She stammered a response, glancing away.

"Good morning, I'm Yugito Ni." The serious look on Yugito's face was something I could easily read now, she it broke her heart another little bit that yet another kid was frightened of her.

Sadako gulped hard, relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath. "I apologize for my reaction. It's hard to go against years of belief about your ki-about jinchuriki. I've heard fantastic things about you from Kioshi and even Yataro. I'm sorry," She said with a light blush, "Look, I made some cookies for us, we can all share them."

Immediately, the old man and I paled.

"It's ok, I understand," Yugito answered Sadako, "I brought some sashimi for two, but maybe we can share it too."

"I'll put the kettle on, we are going to need more tea." I said standing up to take the kettle inside to the old man's kitchen. I was hoping to miss out on Sadako's exceedingly salty cookies, but when I returned outside they were set on the table along with some sashimi.

"We wouldn't start without you." The old man said to me with a devious smile.

'Fuck.'

Yugito tried the cookies first, while I served a lot of sweet tea knowing what would happen. I heard a gulp, and Yugito's face disfigured for a fraction of a second before going back to an obviously forced smile.

"Your cookies are great as always Sadako!" I said while gulping a couple in one go. The faster you ate those monstrosities, the less you suffered.

Yugito only nodded while trying to swallow. You had to admire her compassion, even after their rough start.

"Thank you, chipmunk! And happy birthday! I can't believe you're already eight, it seems like yesterday when I walked you to the academy!"

"Thank you Sadako! And thank you for the cookies!" I said while putting the cookies back inside the brown paper bag she brought them in, "I'll save some of them for later, though." At least there were _only_ a dozen cookies left.

After finally swallowing, Yugito gulped down her entire cup of steaming tea in one go.

"Thank you for receiving me gramps but I have to get back the hospital now. I'll try that chakra control exercise later today if I'm somehow able to go home before midnight!" Sadako said with a smile. "Happy birthday chipmunk! See you around!" She finished pinching my cheeks and walked away.

Once Sadako was gone past the street, Yugito immediately started to cough. "Holy cow," she whined, "How can you eat those things so easily?"

"Well, just look at her smile," I answered while serving Yugito more tea, "She's got a kind heart too."

"Hey kid, here's your birthday present." Yataro said to me taking a small booklet from his pocket and handing it to me.

The old looking booklet had the Konoha logo stamped at the center of its cover, so I was intrigued. I opened it and skimmed along words and diagrams, it contained detailed descriptions of kunai and shuriken throwing techniques based on chakra molding along your arms and hands to achieve a perfect throw, it showed how to use other thrown kunai to strike airborne weapons to alter their course, how to use ninja wire and how to hide shuriken among fire jutsu. It was signed at the last page with the name 'Nagashima Uchiha'.

I was flabbergasted. "This… this is an Uchiha book! Holy crap old man, where did you get this? It's amazing!" I looked at the old man. He had a touch of a smile across his face.

"I've had it since the second war, and I thought you might like it since you proved to be very skilled with thrown weaponry. Just remember to give it back to me after you're done with it, it's one of the few things my father left me before he died."

"Thank you!"

If the book granted me the advanced shurikenjutsu skill -and I was certain it would- I'll have to read it completely first.

Yugito was smiling too and handed me the other brown bag she was carrying when she arrived. "This is my gift."

I took another thin book from the bag. This one wasn't labeled so I opened it with wonder and read the first page out loud. "Resources, orders, protocols and findings regarding poisons: Handbook for T&I officials of Kumogakure."

"Wh… how did you get this? It's not even listed in the shinobi library!" I stammered while skimming through the pages. "This is amazing, look," I read the title of a section I just randomly opened, "Common and Uncommon Kirigakure Poisons."

I looked up to Yugito, and my words caught in my throat. Her dazzling velvet black eyes gleamed with such a shine I was sure that image was going to be burned in my memory for years to come. She stood up, moved in front of me and put a hand over my cheek, wiping a small outcast tear with her thumb.

"Happy birthday, Kioshi."

"Thank you, thank you both."

"That's not all," she continued, "I got you another thing." She took a small scroll from her pouch and unsealed some parchment and some brushes. "I remembered you mentioning that you liked art and painting. Every shinobi should have a hobby, something to take our minds and hearts off the violence. You know I like playing the shamisen, so I thought you may start painting."

That was true. I always liked paintings but never really tried to paint something in the real word besides some high school side subjects. It could be a good thing to try a new hobby in this world. "I'll give it a try, thank you."

We sat that in comfortable silence for some time, drinking tea and finishing the sashimi that Yugito brought, when my mind clicked.

"Hey Yugito, when is your birthday by the way?"

"Two weeks ago."

I spat my tea. "What the hell? Why didn't you tell me- us! We are your genin team!"

"It doesn't matter really it's-"

"No! No, no, no. No," I complained feeling like an idiot, "I have a present for you, just... wait here." I had the perfect gift for her, but I couldn't just summon it from my inventory in front of her.

I jumped over the old man fence and dashed to my house across the street. Once I closed the front door, I opened my inventory and took out the red sash I got as a reward for killing the salamander boss.

**Salamander Skin Belt  
\- Said to be made from the skin of the ageless Salamander King Fudo to help those who enjoy loneliness.  
Quality: Unique.  
Gives complete immunity to intrusive genjutsu.**

I grabbed a brown paper bag from the kitchen, an old one I got when I bought a huge case of black tea some weeks ago, and packed the sash inside. 'Note to self: buy wrapping paper and stuff, not everything has to go on brown paper bags.'

I dashed back to the old man's house where he and Yugito were still sitting on the front lawn around the small table, both with straight faces.

"Here, I got this some time ago." I interrupted them standing in front of both. "It's very similar to the one you're already wearing, but you'll like it!" I insisted while handing Yugito the paper bag.

She took the sash with a smile, then her eyes widened as she began to caress the fabric with her hand. If the gamer system was consistent, then the Salamander King belt will make her immune to genjutsu. It was the perfect gift, and had a much nicer shade of red than her old one.

"Kioshi this, this is amazing. What is this made of? It looks expensive."

"Try it on!" I said with a grin.

She stood up and removed her old sash to try the new one. It fitted perfectly, the knot on her left side and the right dangling a littler lower. It really was the perfect shade of red.

"It looks great on you," I said looking up, "and it looks way better than your old one."

Let it be known that Yugito Nii, jinchuriki of the Nibi, jonin and proud kunoichi of Kumogakure, shed a single happy tear that morning. A second later, her serious expression was back and only a hint of a smile showed the true nature of her feelings. I knew we both were lonely people, I saw it in her eyes. This might as well be the first gift she ever received from anyone but her closest friends. I knew I did the right thing.

"Thank you, Kioshi. This means a lot."

I made her smile, and for me, that was the perfect end for a perfect morning. However, it was the old man who interrupted our little slice of heaven.

"As wonderful as this is, there's one thing we wanted to discuss with you, Kioshi." He stated leaning inwards.

Yugito turned serious, business-like serious. "Yes, there's something we need to discuss Kioshi." She started after a nod from the old man. "How did you know Sadako or I were coming?"

'Oh crap, the cat's out of the bag. I should have been more careful.'

"I've noticed you are constantly channeling a small bit of chakra through the back of your head, which I believe might be related with some sort of active sensing ability." Old man Yataro stated from his chair uncrossing his arms.

'It's ok, you knew this would happen,' I said to myself. 'At least it's Yugito and the old man. If anything, I can trust _them_.' I knew it wouldn't remain a secret for long and I had to come clean if I ever wanted to stop living in fear of being discovered by the Raikage.

Fortunately, I already had a half-truth rehearsed for this situation.

"I… I have a kekkei genkai." I stated blatantly, looking up at Yugito right in her widened eyes.

"It's easier to show you." I continued, taking a kunai from the pouch on my right leg. I extended my arm in front of me, palm facing upwards, and faking concentration I willed the kunai to float erratically over my hand. "It makes sense in a way," I started, "when I tested my affinities the chakra paper tore in half and crumbled to dirt at the same time. I did my research; I knew that earth and wind are completely unrelated natures and both natures seemed so well balanced that I theorized it may indicate some kekkei genkai. The only possibility was Magnet Release, as the history books showed that Toroi could use magnetism and had wind and earth elemental affinities. It also explained why I constantly had that feeling that metal _responded_ to me, that even with my eyes closed I could _feel_ my kunai and shuriken, or even the cutlery in my kitchen." I looked at their faces, they were listening intently while gazing the floating kunai, so I continued. "A month ago, I was finally able to make one kunai float over my hands and realized that I could sense metal in other people's clothes: their hitai ate, their weaponry, even their reinforced vests." I took one last deep breath and prepared myself to say the last part of my practiced speech. "I was- I _am_ scared. What if the Raikage finds out I have a rare kekkei genkai?"

"What, the Raikage?" Yugito interrupted me, cocking her head.

"Yeah, you know. Because of the Hyuga affair and me not belonging to a clan or-"

"Bullshit, Kioshi, that wasn't the Yondaime." Old man Yataro interjected. "That was an old Mizuno council member that stuck with the Sandaime's idea of strengthening Kumo by incorporating blood lines. The Sandaime tried once to abduct an Uzumaki girl from Konoha years ago and even went so far as trying to snatch a Senju as his first act as Raikage. A Senju!"

"What?"

"Yes. The council member was executed privately the next day to avoid any public repercussions," Yugito grumbled, her arms crossed, "A-sama even tried to salvage the situation by requesting the body of the Hyuga clan head as compensation... but we know how that turned out. Look Kioshi, don't worry, ok?" She continued looking at me. "You can trust me. Besides, do you think Toroi was somehow abducted from another village? He wasn't the first magnet release user in the Land of Lightning. A-sama can explain everything to you."

"Are you sure?" I asked Yugito seriously.

"Yes."

She didn't hesitate and so I trusted her.

I was sticking to my half-truth anyway; I wouldn't want to know what would happen to me if I tell the Raikage that I have the Sandaime Kazekage's version of the Magnet Release and not Toroi's.

"Okay Yugito, I trust you," I said. "When are we telling him?"

"He's currently in a meeting with all the jonin sensei, but today is Saturday so he'll be free in about an hour. Speaking of which, I should go back there. Meet me there in an hour," she finished with her hand on my shoulder, "and thanks for the gift."

"You know, kid? She's a good girl," old man Yataro said after Yugito left with a shunshin, "I hope you know what you are getting into."

"What?"

He just sighed and ignored my question. "I know there's more to your abilities than what you're telling us, and that's all right, I'll respect your secrets." After a short pause, he crossed his arms and leaned back on his chair. "And about that whole wind and chakra thing you've been rambling about, well, experiment. If you have a working theory, prove it. Just, don't lose your focus on your shinobi skills. Sooner or later, this world is going to throw impossible things at you, and you'll have to make impossible decisions."

* * *

I was pacing around outside the Raikage's office, waiting. I could sense at least a dozen metal signatures inside the office, including the Raikage and Yugito. His secretary, a light gray-haired young girl with dark skin wearing a greenish long-sleeved shirt and skirt, ignored me as she reviewed some documents over her desk. 'Didn't she have a name in the manga?' I was nervous, but I had a plan. I would show the Raikage my magnet release as Kumo's version and as if I couldn't control it very well. If they forced me into anything I disagreed with, like breeding programs or marrying or experimenting, I'll just run away from the village. I might just be able to do it, I'll just need to find a way to protect Yugito indirectly. Maybe I could go to Konoha and try to be a ninja there, they'll probably accept me as a refugee. But that also meant a lot of other issues.

My inner dialog was interrupted by the Raikage's office doors opening, followed by a bunch of jonin leaving the office, mumbling about their genin teams and where to go drinking that night. I didn't care for Observing any of them and none of them noticed me there.

"Kioshi," Yugito said holding the doors open, signaling me to go inside with a movement of her head. I stood up and walked past her.

The Raikage's office was just the same as that time I came after dad died. The same mahogany desk stood at the center and the same dumbbells were lying around the office, though the punching bag was brand new. Glass walls still covered the back of the room, offering the clearest view of the entire village.

**Name: A  
Title: Yondaime Raikage.  
Level: ?  
Age: 38  
A is the Yondaime Raikage of the Land of Lightning. A stern individual, he respects power and strength above all, although his overprotective tendencies say otherwise.****  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

"A-sama."

The Raikage looked up at Yugito from the files he was reviewing, his fingers still stroking his chin.

"Hmmm?" He dryly answered first then focused his eyes, "Oh right, yes, Kioshi Shirasu. Is good to see you again in a more pleasant circumstance I hope." He fixed his gaze on me before continuing. "Yugito here said you have something important to say to me."

Leaning over the wall to the left was a yawning Darui, and, besides Yugito and the Raikage, I could only sense one more shinobi, and Anbu I presumed, now standing outside the closed office doors.

"Yes, Raikage-sama. I think it's better if I show you."

He reclined back in his chair and uncrossed his arms doing a 'go ahead' gesture with his hands. I displayed my empty left hand while my right went for a kunai from my leg pouch; this was a common practice meant to avoid any misjudgment of your actions when unsheathing weapons in front of unfamiliar shinobi. Procuring a kunai from the pouch, I held it over my right palm facing upwards. Once again, I feigned concentration and willed the kunai to levitate unevenly.

The Raikage's eyes widened a bit. "The Magnet Release? Now that's an interesting change of pace around here." he started, "It's good to see it again, it's been years since Toroi died on duty. How did you find out? How proficient are you?"

"I found out some weeks ago and I'm just starting-"

"Great, great. These are great news for Kumogakure indeed." He exclaimed. "But first, Darui, you are more versed in kekkei genkai history, give the kid the first heads up."

Darui shrugged his shoulders. He obviously looked younger than what I remembered from the manga, his white-blond hair was shorter and was yet to cover his left eye, and the cleaver strapped to his back looked somewhat disproportionate for his body type. He was wearing baggy black pants, and a sleeveless high-collared uniform. The kanji for water and lightning were visible on his upper shoulders and his hands, as Tadashi's, were strapped in bandages. He was also wearing a standard kumo jonin vest which by itself was impressive, but I wouldn't have expected anything less from the man who would become Raikage after the war.

**Name: Darui  
Title: Jonin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 78  
Age: 16  
Dauri is a jonin from Kumogakure and the right-hand man of the Yondaime Raikage. A Storm Release user, he also inherited the Sandaime's Black Lightning which makes him a respected shinobi despite his young age.****  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

"Listen closely, kid. Every kekkei genkai wielder should know the history of its origin, as dull as it may be." Darui started. "The Magnet Release is a recurrent kekkei genkai that from time to time pops out in the Land of Lightning. Its seemingly random distribution is the biggest difference with the Storm Release. You see, there's a factor of inheritance in Storm Release: the vast majority of the Horiuchi clan members are born with water and/or lightning nature affinities, if both affinities are perfectly balanced in any individual, you'll get the storm release. Storm release wielders born outside the clan are also born from shinobi parents who either have those particular affinities or one of them is also a Storm Release user, with no exceptions." He breathed in a long, relaxed breath, almost like a yawn, but his eyes then focused on me. "Now, none of the registered child of a wind _and_ an earth natured shinobi has ever developed the Magnet Release, not even if we include the civilian population. In fact, Toroi's parents were both lightning release users. The Sandaime theorized that Magnet Release didn't have a genetic component, but that would also prove that it's inherently different to Suna's magnet release, as it is believed that the iron sand and the gold dust versions of Magnet Release do follow such rules. Obviously, Kumo's version is very different to Suna's despite sharing the same nature combination; Kumo's version is more focused on weapon magnetism and dueling, not that destructive force the Sandaime Kazekage was known for. The Sandaime Raikage attempted to create a clan of magnet release users in Kumo, but no matter how many whores Toroi was offered and how many siblings his parents were forced to bring into this world, none developed the kekkei genkai." He walked to a file cabinet beside the bookcase and started rummaging. "So, Kioshi, your kekkei genkai is considered a mutation rather than a proper blood line limit, at least here in Kumo." He procured a red folder, which I suspected had my name on it, and began flipping through the pages inside. "Your father was a lightning specialist, while your mother was a wind wielder. Your father's family is also well documented, and there are no earth or wind natured shinobi in his family tree." He closed the folder with one hand and put it back in the bookcase, sighing. "Unfortunately, the Sandaime made one mistake: no formal information was ever documented on Toroi's abilities or any other Magnet Release users before him, 'important secrets' he called them, so we are left only with descriptions of old shinobi and their sake filled stories. Regrettably, Toroi also died before the Shinobi Research Institute was founded. Whatever else we know is based on rumors too, like the original clan before t-"

"Oh, for fucks sake's Darui, stop babbling so much." The Raikage interrupted and stood from his chair behind his desk, his broad arms and shoulders uncovered, flashing a broad grin that somehow still looked stern and deadly serious. "The Magnet Release is finally back on the Shinobi roster of Kumo. It's time for you to train hard and rise through the ranks. It's time to put blood, sweat and tears in your training, kid."

"A-sama," Yugito tried to interrupt the Raikage's incipient monologue. "A-sama, please. There's one thing Kioshi wants to discuss first."

The Raikage raised an eyebrow and sat down again. "Go ahead."

"It's about the Hyuga affair." Yugito stated.

The Raikage's mind seemed to click after a brief pause as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah, that thing again. Am I to assume that you are worried about what will happen to you as a kekkei genkai wielder?" He asked me in a grave voice.

"Yes." I answered maintaining eye contact.

"What I'm about to say is restricted information that you are not to discuss with the civilian population or chunin and below under any circumstance. Am I clear?"

I answered with a short nod.

"The kidnapping was orchestrated by a council member who convinced our peace envoy. Can you believe they went behind my back, _my _back! And they even tried to steal the Hyuga heir from under their noses -right under their freaking_ eyes_." Judging by the flaring of his nostrils, his clenched teeth and that he was once again standing behind his desk, the Raikage was pissed. "I tried to salvage the situation, maybe get our hands on a Hyuga body, but that old Sarutobi bastard played us. We kept everything a secret to the civilian population. It's best for them to believe we just failed and got tricked by Konoha, than them to _know_ some council member went behind the backs of the shinobi council, failed and that _then_ we got fooled by Konoha anyway." He took a deep breath before continuing. "After losing the third war and the death of my father, the Land of Lightning began a recuperation phase of militaristic isolation. That's when we gave up on the whole steal kekkei genkai philosophy; it never worked. Even during the war, that Yondaime Hokage bastard impeded every single move Kumo tried." He leaned on his desk and looked down directly at me. "That being said, you already are in the shinobi high priority list because of your grades and performance, so nothing will change now. Well, the jonin and the clan heads will be talking more about you..."

I was a little surprised. "High priority list?"

"Yes, this cabinet here," Darui answered before the Raikage could, "has all the files of shinobi regarded as priority targets to observe; promising shinobi, kekkei genkai wielders and other shinobi whose special abilities or _circumstances_ make them priority targets for enemy shinobi or valuable members to our forces. All chunin and jonin jonin are alerted if any member is in the list."

"Normally, Kumo would offer you any help we could provide." The Raikage spoke. "Storm Release and other kekkei genkai users are all helped in terms of jutsu and training regimes, even outside the clans, but there's not much we can do in your case. So, train up your abilities, keep your head up high and earn the respect that will be given. Bring glory to Kumogakure, and she will love you back." The Raikage was still standing, now holding his head up high and his eyes lost on some old tale of glory, I presumed.

'Meh, as far as motivational speeches were concerned, that wasn't half bad.'

I looked back at Yugito. She was right all along and, broadly speaking, nothing would change from now on. I was probably drowning in a glass of water trying to hide my kekkei genkai. However, its true extent will remain a secret, I decided. Whatever reactions this world's other violent factions might have -Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Danzo- are things I'll have to improvise as I go.

"Any questions you may have, we are here for our shinobi," Darui finished before turning to Yugito, "and maybe Dodai could tell him more about the history behind Magnet Release; he's better versed in kekkei genkai records."

She just nodded gratefully.

* * *

"Where's Tadashi?" Kazuya asked me.

"I don't know."

It was unusual for Tadashi to miss our morning runs before training, even if it was Monday. We just shrugged our shoulders and began jogging around the training grounds with the cold fall winds on our backs. I've got to say, these runs have helped me increase my VIT quite a lot.

After 30 minutes or so, Yugito arrived.

"Hello team. I've got news," she exclaimed, "but where's Tadashi?" she added looking around.

We shrugged our shoulders.

"Well, I'll inform him later. Tomorrow we've got another C-rank mission," Yugito continued, "I'll brief you after training."

I couldn't hide my smirk. Another C-rank meant a lot of experience and money.

"Well, you know the routine. Kazuya, don't tire yourself much, there's a couple of things we have to correct about your elemental manipulation."

Kazuya and I faltered for a moment looking at each other. Yugito rarely, if ever, taught us something directly if we didn't ask her first. I just shrugged my shoulders again.

That day, I focused on leveling up my throwing techniques, throwing kunai and shuriken to a wooden post, aspiring to max out every single advanced skill I had.

**Advanced Shurikenjutsu. Lvl 2. (56%)  
\- Perfected techniques for thrown weaponry developed by the Uchiha clan.  
Increases ranged damage and accuracy by 2%.**

The skill I received from the Uchiha book was extraordinary: it increased all ranged damage and accuracy, not only shuriken's.

Poison Crafting and Poison Resistance still had a long way to go before hitting max level, mostly because I couldn't just train them directly and injecting myself with the only toxins I could create ceased to be effective a while ago. The book Yugito gave me advanced those skills by a small margin once I finished reading it last night, two levels each, and they still had a long way to go. Thankfully, the book mentioned which stores sold poison crafting equipment and ingredients, and also indicated some local toxic herbs that can be found inside the village. I was sure to check those after training and was looking forward to craft all sorts of stuff from whatever I could find to level that crafting skill. There was a long list of poisons I sought to try.

I wanted to keep leveling my stealth, but that was only combat oriented and couldn't level that up unless someone was actively looking for me. 'I'll have to ask Yugito one of these days for specific training.'

Also, my meditation was leveling up so freaking fast I was very pleased with it:

**Meditation. Lvl 75. (10%)  
\- Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.  
Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 124%.  
Meditating now grants the benefits of sleeping and further increases Chakra regeneration by 25%.**

Lastly, I didn't remember what Tsunade did to increase her chakra control to medic-nin levels, or how Itachi managed to be such genjutsu genius, but I was finally convinced that the best way to further train my Chakra Control was trying to recreate the Rasengan. From what old man Yataro told me during our tea-infused weekend afternoons, the best way to improve your control over chakra after completing the water walking exercise was to get better at using it raw once it leaves your body. So: Rasengan. I was more than a little paranoid about shinobi checking on me after yesterday's conversation with Darui, so maybe I'll try it inside a dungeon after cleaning it out, if I ever find the next one.

I heard Kazuya scream and immediately tuned my head in his direction. He was panting, his left hand holding his right wrist, his wakizashi lay on the ground in front of him.

"Right there." Yugito was standing next to him with her arms crossed and a furrowed brow. "You're still converting chakra to lightning before releasing it from your hands, try converting it just after it leaves your hand, it's easier that way. I've told you before, you should try with a metal rod before trying to-"

"Kioshi can make it! Tadashi can even change chakra to lightning before releasing it!" He complained through clenched teeth.

"What you're trying is a chunin level skill, at the least. Take it easy on yourself Kazuya, and don't compare yourself to others. I'm proud of you three." Yugito responded.

Kazuya's eyes focused on his sword on the ground, his expression pained. It seemed that Yugito's words did little for his self-esteem, which has been dropping constantly during the last weeks, starting even before our C-rank.

"Kioshi, anything you need to train with me?" Yugito, or to be more precise, a clone of her, said to me.

**Yugito Nii (Shadow Clone)  
[Very Good]**

"Well, yes. I still have to train shurikenjutsu against a moving opponent." I said.

"Fine enough. I'll be moving at high chunin speeds and I'll try to get closer," Yugito answered with a smirk, "you'll have to keep me away."

If I wasn't feigning my proficiency with the Magnet Release, I may have been able to win.

When the sun was high up in the sky, signaling lunch hour, I sensed Tadashi stumping to the training grounds. He was grumbling under his breath and looking at his feet. He looked pissed alright.

**Tadashi Horiuchi  
[Bad]**

'That can't be good.'

He didn't say a word, he just walked until he was close to us and stood quietly waiting for Yugito to speak.

"So, team, we have a C-rank mission tomorrow." Yugito said when Tadashi joined us. "We are to check the claims of bandit activity in a small town close to the border. Pack for a week-long mission. We'll meet tomorrow morning at 8 am, you have the afternoon for yourselves. Before I dismiss you though, Kioshi has something to say to you both." That made Kazuya, who was still wearing a pained expression and massaging his right hand, and Tadashi, who was fuming about something, stare at me with curiously. Yugito nudged me with her hand, reminding me of what we talked about the day before: my teammates should know about my magnet release.

I was reluctant to tell them just yet, not with Kazuya somewhat depressed and Tadashi so angry, but after some seconds of uncomfortable silence, I just told them straight ahead. "So, guys, I have a kekkei genkai. The Magnet Release."

"Oh, what the fuck now? Seriously?" Tadashi snarled loudly throwing his hands in the air. "You've got to be fucking kidding me! A fucking kekkei genkai? Every fucking time I finally think I'm catching up to you after training my ass out, you come up with another weird fucking thing! Fast wind release, a weird genjutsu, seal-less jutsu, a perfect taijutsu style and now this! Oh," he half laughed, "I can see now, everybody praising the fucking perfect kid, the Shirasu genius, the mismatched eyes prodigy!" I took a step back with my eyes wide open. He stepped in and glared at me, his face inches from mine. "Fuck you, Kioshi. Fuck. you." he finished, poking me in the chest with every word.

Kazuya remained silent, looking away with his hands in his pockets. Tadashi hated that.

"Are you really not saying anything now, fucker?" Tadashi taunted him half yelling, half sneering. I didn't like his tone, and Kazuya answered back angrily, but barely above a whisper.

"What do you want me to-"

"Anything you motherfucker!" Tadashi interrupted. "You can't just be quiet all the fucking time! Never saying anything about our training, not having an opinion on- you know what? Fuck you, Kazuya. At least you should try to pull your weight in this team, you're fucking useless. The worst the Fuse clan has spawned. Say something for fuck's sake!" Tadashi was fuming, and Kazuya only stared at the ground.

"Tadashi, what's wrong with y-"

"What's wrong with me? Really?!" He snapped back at me. "You are what is wrong with me. I can't even make my family proud because all they talk about is you. So fuck you Kioshi! Go and take up drinking like your father!"

That was when Yugito finally did something. "Tadashi! I will not tolerate this behavior, are we clear?" she scolded him. Tadashi didn't answer and only turned his head to glare at her. "I said are we clear, genin?" She was dead serious.

"Yes, sensei." He answered her between his teeth, never taking his eyes from hers.

"Tomorrow, 8 am, at the gates," She sternly said, "and get yourself together." Yugito was smarter than to ask for an apology.

Tadashi stormed away.

I had not moved from my place, still shocked with Tadashi's reaction. I've never seen him so violent before, not with me, not with Kazuya. Yugito's hand rested on my shoulder.

"Go home and get some rest, tomorrow's mission might be difficult for you."

I looked to the side and found Kazuya was already gone. I just nodded at Yugito and headed off. That afternoon I couldn't keep my mind away from that event.

* * *

Twenty minutes before 8 o'clock, I arrived at the Village's gates. Kazuya was already there with Yugito.

"Will we talk about yesterday?" I immediately asked.

"Tadashi failed his clan's test to become a full-fledged member." Yugito started. Kazuya and I turned our attention to her. "There's this test that Horiuchi clan members have to take in order to be considered members of the shinobi elite force inside the clan. From what a clan jonin mentioned yesterday, Tadashi failed that test yesterday morning. I suppose that's what had him so angry. It's a test designed for newly promoted jonin, so I don't really understand why he even tried to take it."

"Well, we all know that Tadashi is a proud and competitive guy," I answered the implicit question, "but that doesn't justify his behavior." And I couldn't help wondering 'Does his family really talk that much about me? Does he really hate me?' "Maybe he just needs some time to himself."

Kazuya was silent, dead silent. With bags under his eyes and staring at the ground, standing like a dead man.

"Are you alright, man?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He muttered.

Tadashi arrived some minutes later, still with an angry expression on his face. Just like the day before, he didn't utter a word and just nodded at Yugito and us.

**Tadashi Horiuchi  
[Very Bad]**

'This is getting worse.'

"Team, we are going to Nishidani Village to the south-east end of the border. I expect it will take us two days to arrive there. This is a bandit reconnaissance mission, so we are to check with the local authority before we do anything. Are you all ready?"

We three nodded silently.

"Let's go then." Yugito said, turning around and staring the walk down.

**Quest Created:  
And like a moth that tries.**

**Check the bandit reports on Nishidani Village.**

**Rewards:  
12000 Exp, C-rank standard payment.**

We left the Kumo under clear skies and dry, cold winds. After the stone steps, we began our journey cross country in roughly the same direction as our first C-rank and ran fast until the night fell over. This time we slept inside our tents and were cautious to select a camping place protected from the wind.

For the whole day, Tadashi kept his angry scowl on his face, although it was gradually disappearing. Kazuya also remained mostly silent, but that night I got my opportunity to talk to him when he 'woke' me up for my watch.

"Kazuya, listen, about the other day…" I started when I got out of my tent. The crescent moon bathed the landscape with an unnerving light that reflected in our faces.

"Mhm?" he grumbled.

"Did you speak with Tadashi after yesterday? I think Yugito m-"

"No," he muttered shaking his head, "please don't. Just shut up." He was staring at his feet and his fists were clenched rigidly at his side.

"... what?"

"I... I can't do this anymore." he stuttered barely above a whisper "I know my dad is disappointed at me just because I can't live up to his expectations... he was a chunin at 10, the best swordsman of the clan! But I can't, I'm not _you_ Kioshi." There wasn't an ounce of anger on his voice, only pain and regret. "Tadashi is right, I'm an embarrassment. I can't keep up with you two."

"No, Kazuya. You're not. Look, the-"

"Don't." He interrupted me hissing though his teeth, "don't say anything. I don't need your pity. I'm better without any of you. I'm requesting a transfer after this mission; maybe I'll get a jonin sensei that actually teaches me something. And don't try to defend her, Kioshi." Kazuya added when I tried to say something. "You are just too blind to see other people besides her, don't you? She only stopped Tadashi when he insulted you, she didn't say anything when he was insulting me, she just stood there with her arms crossed, looking down on us. And you didn't care."

I was stunned.

"She always corrected us when we tried to call her by her name, you know? 'Yugito-_sensei_' she emphasized, but not you. It doesn't matter now. I'm done, I'm tired, and I just don't want to do this anymore." With a vacant stare, he turned around and went to his tent.

I stood there for what seemed like millennia with my eyes wide open. He was right, in all accounts, he was right. I was so focused on training and competing with myself I began to ignore Kazuya and even Tadashi more and more. I pushed them aside. I always thought that Yugito trained us sort of like Kakashi did to Konoha's team seven in the manga, but I was wrong. Yugito didn't give any form of assurance to Kazuya or Tadashi, not to their faces, nor did she correct their katas or their exercises. But mine she did. 'We have a lot to discuss after the mission, Yugito. And it seems I have a lot of amendments to do, too.'

**Kazuya Fuse  
[Bad]**

* * *

The following day was spent running in silence and by late afternoon we arrived at the outskirts of Nishidani village. As Yugito stated, the town was located not far off the border with the Land of Snow, but unlike our first C-rank, Nishidani was located at the eastern edge of the Land of Lightning, half a day walk from the eastern coast and another half day walk to the Hokenzo road. The climate was very different here, the tempering effect of the sea provided a decent growing environment for trees, as was evident from the lush medium sized pine trees that made up the rich midland forests encircling the town, even if the rain shadow effect of the nearest mountain ranges was still evident. The hilly area meant the town itself looked secluded enough to be considered as a proper hidden village, though its size was lacking.

The outskirts of Nishidani felt barren, most of the small buildings and farming lands that greeted us were deserted and only a small number of farm animals could be seen roaming around. Entering the town itself didn't change our first appreciation. Some of the trading stalls and stores were closed and boarded up, while most of the open ones were half out of stock. Interestingly enough, the boarded-up buildings were all high-end stores; jewelry shops and such.

"This place looks out of shape." I commented.

"Keep your eyes open for any suspicious activity, we are heading to the town hall." Yugito addressed us.

We walked at civilian pace, procuring to keep an eye on everyone and everything, looking for anything suspicious around. People were going around their lives, walking back home from work and some, I could only guess, the other way around. They all focused their gazes on us, some frowning, others surprised and maybe with a little bit of hope. One civilian stood frozen in place with when his gaze landed on Yugito. I was sure she noticed it, but neither of us commented on it.

"They don't trust us." Tadashi drily commented. He was right to be wary, why would they not trust their own shinobi?

Before long, we arrived at the town hall. It was a small building as every other building in the town, just two stories tall. The white paint was peeling off the outer walls, although it seemed to be in a general good condition. Yugito knocked and entered the building without waiting for an answer. We followed her into the lobby.

She promptly addressed the man behind the reception desk. "Hello, we're here to see the major, please."

"Are you the shinobi sent by Kumo?" He asked back in a boring tone. He didn't wait for an answer, he stood up, walked to the nearest wooden door and knocked twice.

A simple looking man with the common dark skin tone of the residents of the Land of Lightning, wearing simple brown pants and a white dress shirt poked his head out the door and ushered us in. 'That must be the major.' His hair was cut short and his face cleanly shaved. I expected a disheveled man, but he looked like a guy who worried about his appearance. Moreover, his office, as small as it was, was thoroughly clean.

"Are you the shinobi team we asked to check on the bandit problem?" He addressed Yugito with an unexpected deep voice as he plopped down on his chair behind his desk. He motioned with his hand for us to sit down. Bad luck had it, there were only three chairs in front of the desk.

"We are. Can you give us the rundown of the problem?" Yugito didn't sit, so we stood beside her.

"Sure, it's quite a straightforward problem really," the major started. "We've had a number of new reports of bandit activity in the outskirts of the city. Normally, the local shinobi patrols would take care of the issue, but those have been more and more infrequent, which doesn't make sense since we are- we used to be the biggest producer of grains and produce of this area. The bandits have been harassing our export caravans and have even raided what's left of the farmlands on the outskirts. Most of their activity has been on the southern portion of the city, and the local civilian police believe they have a base of operation somewhere near."

"Local civilian police?" Yugito inquired.

"Ah, yes." The major answered through a nervous grin. "Since shinobi patrols have all but disappeared, we've organized a local police force to enforce security. They deal with local inconveniences, bar fights and such. They are even trying to control the black market that has emerged these past years, but they can't deal with raiders or bandits and I'm smarter than to send a missive to the border patrols asking for help again. So, here you are."

Yugito nodded in understanding. "We'll investigate the issue. Where was the most recent sighting?"

"Last night on the southern road, just before it splits east to the coast. They attacked a caravan, one of the merchants was killed and the other two fled back to the city. Their statement said there were five or more bandits."

"Black market?" I interrupted, genuinely curious.

"Yes, since the harvests have been dwindling over the last six or so years, at least a third of the villagers have left their farmlands and relocate inland, where there's still water for irrigation and blight is rare. A black market is the normal reaction to the rising price of food. They also typically bring drugs and violence -bandit proliferation is not uncommon."

That was interesting; maybe there was a connection between bandit activity, the increased smuggling along the borders and the emergence of a black market. 'I wonder if this is the only town around the border with these particular issues.'

Any intention of continuing the conversation was interrupted by some shouting outside the door and the ensuing opening of the office door. A pale faced man entered the office and leaned on the door frame supporting himself with the jamb. "My baby girl!" he wailed between labored breaths. "My little sunshine... they took her... I ran... please!"

Yugito immediately held the man before he collapsed. "Take it easy, breathe," she calmed him, "that's it. Tell us everything."

By then, the receptionist and two more men were standing by the door while the major was now standing behind his desk, his brows knitted together

"Those bandits took my little girl. I ran," the man continued after recovering his breath, "please, you have to save her."

"Were they shinobi? Did they use one of these?" Yugito bluntly asked pointing to her hitai ate.

"No, no. Please, you have to save her."

"Where?" Yugito pressed on.

"Southern road, we were just arriving from the coa- ack." The man groaned, his left hand went to hold his right arm, and Yugito gently laid him on the floor.

"This man needs medical help, urgently." She commanded the men around before addressing us. "We are heading south, now."

Without further words, we exited the town center and took to the roofs.

"Team, prepare for the worst," Yugito ordered us while running, "Our mission is to hunt down the bandits, procure as much information as we can and secure the hostage if she's there. Stick to stealth and keep noise to a minimum. We are to find their base of operations first and assess the situation from there."

I swallowed hard. Even if this world was shown as a game when I first arrived, the people here were all very real, I was already convinced of such. I felt anxious. Would I have to kill someone during this mission? 'Not if I can avoid it, hopefully.'

After we exited the town, we continued through the pine woods near the main road. The trees weren't strong enough to use their branches for jumping, so we ran through the forest floor at a moderate pace and channeling just a speck of chakra to the soles of our boots to avoid making any noise. Thankfully, these small pine trees didn't lose their leaves during fall so the ground was mostly barren, scarcely covered in dry short grass patches and assorted berry shrubs that reminded me of boxberries or bearberries.

Four minutes later, we stopped a mile away from the where the road to the eastern coast split.

"Kioshi, can you sense something?" Yugito asked barely above a whisper.

I closed my eyes and focused my chakra to the back of my mind. 'Nothing.' I shook my head.

"I can sense metal around us." I whispered after noticing the questioning looks from my teammates. That earned me a snort and an eye roll from Tadashi.

"We'll stick to the side of the eastern road for now and avoid spotters. Kioshi, try sensing every minute or so."

"Yes, _sensei_." I answered, getting a sideways stare from Yugito.

"Can we just wipe out those fuckers and be done with this?" Tadashi complained in a low voice.

"No, we know they have civilian prisoners and there could be shinobi around: never fully trust given information, be wary of witness' testimony and always double check your assumptions." Yugito lectured him.

We traveled for another 10 minutes when I picked something within my sensing range. A metallic signal to the southwest was moving, racing in our direction. Given our current speed and course, our paths would cross in 500 feet or so.

"Movement, three o'clock. We'll converge at 500 feet." I hissed.

Yugito immediately stopped and signaled us over the shoulder: 'Stop – Disperse - Cover'.

Luckily, sign language was something taught at school and even if it was a basic course, Kazuya, Tadashi and I all agreed to learn it properly after becoming a genin team.

We swiftly followed instructions and dispersed between the bushes and the trees, hiding ourselves with the undergrowth and refraining from using chakra. There we waited for ten seconds when we spotted the culprit. A figure crossed the eastern road and continued northeast, carrying the motionless young girl over his shoulders, bounded and gagged.

The most disturbing issue was the hitai ate resting over the figure's forehead.

'Observe.'

The shinobi was moving too fast for me to read the info window before it disappeared, but I got two important details: Kirigakure and Jonin. Finding Mist shinobi in the Land of Lightning was very uncommon, and more so if they were not on an official mission, border patrols were tight as hell lately. 'But that isn't the immediate problem,' I thought frustrated, 'it's just too fast for us.'

"I'm following." Yugito hissed just as I turned to her for orders. "Stay put on the defense and wait for my return." She dashed after the shinobi.

We were left wondering what had just happened, still hiding between the pine trees and the scarce vegetation. We didn't know if any other shinobi were present in the area -and clearly, the kidnapped girl's father didn't notice the jonin when they were attacked, or he straight out lied. I knew our orders were to remain quiet until Yugito came back, but how I wished we could talk about what had been happening for the last couple of days with Tadashi and Kazuya. Maybe to fix things between them, not even with me. Perhaps we could help Kazuya and convince him to remain with us, perhaps we can convince Yugito to train them -us- like she's supposed to, like she trains _me_.

Tadashi broke the silence, though not as I expected.

"Let's move. We have a mission to complete." He said standing from his hiding place a few feet from mine.

"What?" I whispered in contrast to his loud voice.

He pressed his lips into a thin line. "We have to take care of some fucking bandits, that was the original mission, that's why we are here and it's getting late."

"Are you crazy?" I hissed back, "That was a shinobi!"

He ignored me and turned to Kazuya. "C'mon, we have work to do."

But Kazuya didn't agree. He slowly rose from his hiding place shaking his head and avoiding Tadashi's gaze.

"Are. You. Coming?" Tadashi asked him through his teeth, emphasizing every word.

"We have our orders Tadashi," I interjected now also standing up, "and keep your voice do-"

A blow to my side sent me crashing to a nearby pine tree, the force of the collision leaving me dazed and gasping for air. I reacted and rolled to the side as my body hit the ground at the base of the tree, just as a kunai embedded itself in the trunk where my head was a second before.

**-220 HP! **

I immediately forced myself to focus on my surroundings, only for my blood to chill in my veins. There, just where the three of us were not so silently arguing a moment ago, a tall shinobi with a Kirigakure vest and headband stood behind Kazuya, my teammate snared between his arms, holding him as a hostage. The shinobi's left arm was pressing against my Kazuya's windpipe, while his own wakizashi was held right under his jaw, the blade point angled up and almost piercing the skin.

"Now, what do we have 'ere? Some brats looking for trouble?" The raspy voice of the shinobi cut through silent forest.

**Okura Seibei  
[Very Bad]**

I stood up shakily, holding my left side. My head was ringing from the blow and at least a couple of ribs were fractured, but I had no time to ponder on my wounds.

Kazuya was trembling, his face pale and his eyes frozen in fear, his right hand feebly grasping the unknown shinobi's arm. His left shoulder had a deep gash that stained his shirt red, his hitai ate, which he always carried tied up under his left shoulder, was covered in blood. His left arm hung lifeless at his side, probably dislocated, crimson liquid pouring down into the ground.

Tadashi was nowhere to be seen.

"You could be worth some dough," the shinobi hinted to me before turning his eyes back to Kazuya and tightening his grip on the blade upon his neck, "but this kid 'ere-"

In an instant, I extended my arms and pumped all the chakra I could into my kekkei genkai. I held the wakizashi and all the metal around the shinobi in place: his plated gloves, his steel capped shinobi boots, his kunai holster, his vest and his hitai ate.

His smile turned into a scowl and his eyes noted on my extended arms.

"What... what is this?"

He was completely immobilized, the sole reasons being my complete concentration and a great deal of chakra. He was too strong for me to hold him for long.

**-230 Chakra.**

"You filthy motherfucker." he spat between his teeth, looking at me with a murderous gaze.

Sweat began pouring down my brow, he was struggling to move the wakizashi into my teammate's throat, while Kazuya was still in his grasp, pale, trembling, still unmoving. He wore no metal around his free arm or his legs. 'Kazuya, this is no time to freeze, damn it.'

I barely sensed Tadashi's metal signature crawling behind the jonin. 'Yes! Tadashi, hurry whatever the hell you're planning!'

My head throbbed and my chakra was dropping fast.

**-230 Chakra. **

I sensed Tadashi building up chakra. 'Just... just go in with a kunai, I have him pinned!' but I didn't dare to speak lest I lose my concentration. A low buzzing sound made the jonin turn his eyes, trying to look behind him. He became desperate, frantically fighting my control with renewed zeal.

**-230 Chakra.**

'Do it, Tadashi!' I cried inside.

In that moment, something hotter than fire burned my right ear and instinctively forced me to move my head and release my control over my kekkei genkai.

I blinked rapidly staring at the jonin. He had a smoking hole the size of a fist right above his navel. With his eyes unfocused, a barely discernible gasp escaped from his mouth as his body went limp and dropped sideways to the ground.

Kazuya however collapsed to his knees; half of his neck was torn away. His right hand moved desperately to what was left of his throat in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding, but he fell to his side, the red liquid quickly seeping into the forest ground. His eyes bore into mine, frantic, afraid, while his mouth gasped for a wisp of air he knew it wouldn't come.

And I stood there, frozen, as his final breath came out of his bloodied mouth, his pale face contorted in horror, and his lifeless eyes staring at me.

"Ka... Kazuya?"

"H-Heh, I figured I got you with that too." I turned my eyes to the fatigued voice and saw Tadashi dropping down to one knee across the bodies, his purple scarf gone and a twisted grin on his face. His bloody left hand was griping his smoking right fist by the wrist.

I could feel the Gamer's Mind taking away my anger, but I willed it away. 'No, not this time. This time I _choose_ to feel angry.'

And I saw red.

I summoned a kunai to my right hand and lunged at Tadashi at full speed just as he began to charge another jutsu. I tackled him down, ramming the blade into his neck as he fell back, and landed on top of him, my right knee pressed caught his left arm by his side while my left hand held his right one over his head.

I felt the sorrow being replaced by a burning hatred in the mouth of my stomach.

"He was just a kid." I hissed, twisting the kunai in his neck.

Tadashi looked up at me with a deranged grin stretched through his bloody face, ignoring both the pain and the blade sticking out from his throat. I let go of the kunai with revulsion and clenched my fist.

"He. Was. Just. A. Kid!" I cried, accentuating every word with a blow to his face. "Just. A. Fucking. Kid!"

Tadashi's face flaunted that psychotic smile, even after life left his eyes and his blood covered my fists.

. . . . . - - - . - . . - . - - - . - - . . .

Five shinobi silently stood upright in front of the Raikage while a woman wearing a white coat finished her report.

"The lasts two bodies were also an adult's and a child's body. The adult body is that of a 31 years old male, well developed and well nourished. It was identified as Okura Seibei, jonin of Kirigakure. The body has a gaping wound in the lumbar region, piercing the lumbar spine at the spinous process and exiting through the rectus sheath below the navel. The wound presents evidence of scorching. No other recent wound is found. The last younger body was identified as that of Kazuya Fuse, 11 years old, genin from Kumogakure. It has multiple recent wounds and bruises, concentrated on the thorax and arms. The body exhibits a piercing wound over his left clavicle, associated to blade weaponry, and a posterior dislocation of the left shoulder. It also has a gaping wound on the neck, showing the same evidence of scorching and severing most of the right side of the visceral and vascular compartments, including the carotid artery and jugular veins. The wounds on the last bodies are consistent with a Storm Release technique according to our findings and attested by Darui too." The aged coroner concluded, lowering her notepad.

The mood was somber, just as the Raikage's thoughts. He wondered how they didn't foresee this, the Horiuchi kid's file stated his troubling mental state and the abuses he was subjected to in his clan. But the Raikage couldn't meddle with clan affairs. Half of him believed that the stories of neglect and cruelty were the reason why Darui never accepted to be adopted into the clan. Now, the Fuse clan head's nephew was dead, killed -or he must say, murdered- by his own teammate. 'That kid's life shouldn't have ended that way,' he thought, 'but at least the Magnet Release boy was alive.'

The hardest part for the Raikage now was looking at Yugito, who even started smiling again a couple years ago, now downtrodden with bags underneath reddened eyes. These were the kind of situations that could destroy a shinobi's heart, and with it, her career and her life. But she will bounce back. He knew she would. She must. There was nobody else in Kumo that could bond that well with the two-tails, and he would hate to have to start looking for one now.

"This is a disaster." Darui complained.

"No," the Raikage answered with a dry voice, "better these things to happen here and now than during a high-profile mission when older. We've seen it before, genin breaking down in the line of duty." He wasn't being completely honest; in his books, this was a disaster alright. But the Raikage was everything but a lousy politician. He knew how to dismantle a serious situation before it escalated. He'll start by revealing the details of the incident as soon as possible to stop any false accusations and conspiracy theories before they arose. 'This has happened before,' he said to himself, 'not since my father sat here, though.'

Two of the shinobi standing in front of the Raikage caught on his charade. As veterans of the last war, they've seen their share of killing, but it didn't matter how many genin they saw fall in the line of duty, this was a new low. They were the first ones to arrive at the scene after Yugito Nii flared her monstrous chakra for the border patrol to pick up. They followed protocol and cleaned the scene, gathered all the evidence they could, sealed the corpses and carried them all the way to the village. As protocol stated, the genin corpses were sent to the coroner, the jonin corpses -both of them- were first delivered to the Intelligence Department to retrieve any available information. Death was a common thing in their line of work and the coroner's office was almost always working until late in the evenings, but this...

Her eyelids felt heavy. Between the silent journey back to the village -during which Kioshi didn't utter a single word nor he slept at all- and the heavy atmosphere in the office, Yugito was exhausted to say the least. Never mind the fact that this was the third time she had to recite her side of the story again. She didn't care what her few friends said to console her, she was convinced that this was all her fault, that everything could be laid at her feet. Some of them will blame this on her, and she bet it would be her ex-boyfriend the one to start the rumors.

The Kiri shinobi she pursued was an A-class target for Kumo, with a capture or kill on sight order, and she followed protocol to the letter. The suicide pill he swallowed was unavoidable though. Kiri agents were known to carry them hidden between their teeth. Alas, she felt guilty even if she followed orders. She should have seen this coming. She should have done something when Tadashi raged about the day before the mission. She should have stayed with them and maybe she could have stopped them from fighting each other, or she could have stopped the Kiri shinobi, maybe she could have stopped Tadashi, she could have saved them, she could have saved h-.

"Yugito."

The Raikage's stern voice brought her back to the real world.

"You have one month to get the Shirasu boy back into shape. I want him up and running for the next chunin exams three months from now."

Yugito didn't care then, she just wanted to be left alone. She doubted sleep would find her tonight, but she was exhausted. Physically and emotionally drained. "Yes, A-sama."

"Dismissed."

She just nodded and trudged to the door. At least, she prayed, Kioshi would be alright. She would try to talk to him again first thing in the morning.

"Sir, we should-" Darui tried to speak, but a stern look from the Raikage shut him up immediately. "Sorry," he murmured.

"Get the jonin commander and the Intelligence Department head here, now!" The Raikage snarled to the sole ANBU standing in the room. "I want to know what were Kiri shinobi doing in the Land of Lightning," he roared, "and _how_ they got past our patrols!"

* * *

_Author's note:_

_First of all, sorry for the delay. _

_You might notice a change in the writing style. As I stated at the end of the first chapter, I'm writting this story to learn to write fiction in english. This time, I've been studying a lot about idioms and physical expressions. You'll notice less "angry expression" or "severe face" kind of phrases. That took a lot of time. _

_Also, I got a new job. And maybe I'll get a stable contract afterwards. The thing is, people mostly call me to fix problems and errors made by other engineers. There's a lot of money there, but it has never been stable enough..._

_I'm sorry for the ending of this chapter. This, and a couple of other situations, are all set on stone to achieve the character and story I want to deliver you. That doesn't mean I'm not open to suggestions or other ideas, only that some things are bound to happen._

_Small Edit: I changed the spacing on the first paragraphs. I only realized how dense that was when I read it on my phone. You should have seen the first draft, it was three times longer and filled with ramblings about fluid mechanics xD. I also added a couple of Gamer mechanics on the last parts that were missing. I'll scan this chapter for typos during my morning commute._

_The next chapter will be focused on the chunin exams, where the gamer mechanics will make a come back. I'll keep the next chapter more lighthearted, as this last ones were a little somber (but hey, finally there's a good reason for Kioshi to deal with killing other people); it will deal just a bit with repercussions and recovery, all mostly implicit with a little heart to heart._

_Also, prepare for a big surprise, as one of the main mechanics of the character will be revealed!._

_Thank you all for your reviews and comments!  
__And if you see any mistakes or a typo... holler!_


	10. Chapter 10: The Edge

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 10 – The Edge.**

There was something in the ground that bothered me, and for the life of mine, I can't figure out what it is.

I was sitting cross legged on the floor next to my dining table. I've been meditating, or trying, since I came back. They took me to the hospital to check on my wounds -not that I had any because of the gamer's body- and took my statement there. I told them everything and was sent home while Yugito was with the Raikage.

The way back to the village was just a hazy assortment of images and sounds, and that was a first in this life. It felt surreal. I remember her face when she found me, how she embraced me checking for wounds, how she flared her chakra wildly, even with hints of biju's mixed in. I didn't react. Yugito said something, but I only remember staring at her shiny obsidian eyes, not really listening to anything at all.

I have to give it to the gamer's mind, it was a great perk. I thought I would feel horrible and traumatized at least, but it took everything away. The loss and regret, they were gone.

That didn't mean I simply forgot all about the whole catastrophe. I could still see Kazuya's bloody face and Tadashi's sick grin. I could still see my kunai piercing his throat.

The Gamer's Mind stripped the worse, but I was left alone to deal with the consequences, just like after my father's death. At least, I now knew I could willingly suppress it.

The few tears I shed long dried out and I was left alone, trying to come to terms with this world and its sick ways there, sitting cross legged next to my dining table.

I sensed Yugito entering my house and sitting in front of me, a change in what was otherwise my simple yet harmful way to deal with all my troubles: don't ignore them. Sometimes I wished I was a drinker, a gambler, or something along those lines.

I breathed in deeply and opened my eyes, the morning sun making me wish I didn't.

She spoke softly. "Yataro Sada said that I should wait for you to stop meditating, that you once meditated for days before coming back. How are you feeling?"

Yugito's eyes lacked the beautiful shine I loved, and her hair was disheveled, tied up in a sad ponytail. She still wore her jonin vest but didn't carry any type of weapons on her.

"Good morning. what day is it?" I asked.

"Friday." She leaned over and put her hand on my shoulder. "How are you?" she repeated.

"A mess. To be honest with you, I feel like crap. I don't understand anything."

"Kioshi, you can talk to me. I know this can be difficult for y-"

"You know nothing!" I answered bitterly raising my head, "This fucking world is messed up."

Her hand squeezed my shoulder. "Hey, talk to me. Get it out of your system."

"This world is wrong on so many levels. How? How the fuck are we supposed to kill other people as a mission?" I started, "And why? So that other people try to kill us in return? How is it possible for kids like Kazuya to die by the hands of another, someone who supposedly cared for us?" I was starting to yell, looking at her eyes. "Can you tell me why?!"

Yugito pulled her hand from my shoulder and stared at me with a slight frown. "We are shinobi, Kioshi. It's our job. We-"

"Don't give me that shit! Is this why kids are encouraged to enter the academy so young, to twist their mind into thinking that killing is a normal thing? For honor and country? It's the most idiotic system of all!"

"Kioshi, calm d-"

"No, don't tell me to calm down. Not when I could have done something to save Kazuya, to understand what was happening to Tadashi." I was pacing around the room, clenching my fist until they hurt. "Was it all because of this shinobi system? A kid kills another during war and nobody bats an eye. 'Soldiers die' they said in the hospital. Like that was a fucking normal thing!" I stopped my ranting only to look her in the eyes. "Who in their right mind expects children to kill others? Who's crazy enough to take that decision so young? Who-"

"I didn't have a choice!" Yugito yelled at me.

I blinked and stared down at her sitting form. Her face scrounged up, her jaw clenched, and her eyes focused on the floor. A single tear fell to her knees.

She raised her head, her gaze now serious and her brows knitted together, and stood up.

"Nobody asked me." She spat looking down at me. "At least you had the choice, young as you were. But make no mistake, Kioshi, we live to kill or be killed. There's no living in this world without the strength to defend yourself and fight back. You think you could have been a civilian? Civilians have it worse than shinobi. They can't defend themselves when a someone stronger comes to hurt them, and believe me, there's always someone stronger than you."

Her glare suddenly disappeared, and her eyes teared up even more.

"Don't you think I feel horrible too? That I don't feel like I could have done something to avoid all of this? I feel like hell wondering if I could have been a better sensei, that I should have taught them so much more. All the other jonin are looking at me with pity again. And you know the worst?" Yugito took a step forward and continued to look down at me, but this time her moist eyes only showed regret. "That when I rushed back after sensing you were in danger, I prayed that _you_ were okay. The worst was thanking the heavens when I found you that it was _them_ and not you, that _you_ were alive. What does that make me?" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "A week from now, 8 am, training grounds. It's your decision."

She turned around and stormed out of my house.

* * *

That week came and went fast enough, and I mostly kept to my room meditating or working out. The old man visited once, carrying a box of strong tea. He didn't say much, he just sat beside me and drank tea. I then visited him every other day and we talked about everything and anything. He never mentioned my last mission.

My mind was at ease again, the painful memories reduced to images that sometimes haunted me but were swiftly ignored. Just as the day my father died, most of the pain and regret was taken away, leaving behind just diluted bitterness.

But Yugito's words echoed in my mind.

So, I went the to the training grounds and at the bridge connecting the valleys, Yugito waited, leaning on the handrails with her arms crossed. Her gorgeous golden hair was loose, dancing around with the cold morning winds. Her eyes fixed on mine once she noticed me.

Sometimes I forget she was just a young woman, that regardless of how much more experience she has with this world, she was still a 20-year-old girl.

"I'm sorry," I started before she even said anything, "I'm sorry for what I said, for what I did and for what I didn't do. I could never have predicted what happened, maybe I should have tried or maybe I should have talked to you before; after all, hindsight is always twenty-twenty. I understand I can't dwell on this for too long and that it will haunt me for the rest of my life, but I want you to know something: I don't blame you. Whatever happened, happened. I can only hope and work for this to never happen again, and I think I know where to start. I want us to be completely honest with each other."

Yugito stared at me for half a minute before turning around and motioning me to follow. We walked in silence to team one's training ground, and a bitter sense of familiarity filled my heart: Tadashi's spot under a tree where he constantly trained his storm release, Kazuya's patch of dead grass where he practiced his katas, the small tree at the back, almost toppling over because of all the kunai impacts... all this memories still boiled in my mind, but time would fade them away, burying them in the back of my mind, as everything was bound to.

"I'm sorry, too." She began. "I'm sorry for everything. I should... No, you're right. I won't blame myself, just as I can't blame anyone else. I know where I was wrong, what mistakes I made. It won't happen again. We should not wallow; we have to move on, and if you want us to be completely honest with each other, I can, and I will." She then smiled at me. It was a sweet smile, a sincere one, even if it wasn't the widest. "I trust you, Kioshi. Do you trust me?"

"Completely." There's was so much more I wanted to or could have said, but oftentimes, words were not enough to convey the true feelings of one's soul.

I looked around us, searching for any identity window floating at the edges of the training ground. I didn't sense any metal signature besides mine and Yugito's, but double-checking for eavesdropping with the 'Observe' passive bonus was slowly becoming a habit.

I confirmed we were alone, so I started. "There's something I have to tell you, about my kekkei genkai."

Yugito cocked her head to the side and nodded me to continue.

I put my hands in my pockets. "It's not only Kumo's version, it's Suna's." I stated, summoning the iron sand to my hands. It poured out of my pockets and hovered around my body. "And I'm getting quite proficient at it."

Yugito's face lighted up, watching the iron sand float around with her eyes open wide.

"My control over metal is almost impeccable and I'm increasing its strength even at a fair distance. That's how I could hold the Kirin nin down long enough for Tadashi to... well, you know."

Her eyebrows rose together. "Kioshi, you have one of the most glorified kekkei genkai in the elemental nations and you can control it at that level? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want to draw too much attention on myself. Not then, not now. But I wanted to be completely honest with you... and that's not all my kekkei genkai can do. For some reason, I don't need to sleep or eat, at all."

"You don't..." Yugito tried to clarify, "you don't sleep or eat?"

"I don't_ have _to. I haven't slept for years, and I only eat if I would otherwise raise suspicion."

Yugito was blinking rapidly. "Well, now that you say it, I don't remember watching you sleep at all. I always found you meditating sitting down at nights, I just assumed you just slept little."

She was still gazing at the floating iron sand, so I willed it to rest around me as a belt. "It still consumes a bit of chakra carrying it like that, so I keep it sealed or in my pockets."

"Thank you for telling me, I promised I'll support you." Her voice hesitated for a second, but she continued. "Do you plan on telling the Raikage?"

"No, no one else should know." I immediately interjected "Lots of people in the world would like to get their hands on my kekkei genkai at any cost. I refuse to be kidnapped or experimented upon, and I will not put a target above those I care about."

Yugito was silent for quite a while but eventually accepted my point of view. "I understand."

That seemed burdensome enough for her. She glorified the village and would never withhold information from the council or the Raikage.

If my trust was indeed misplaced, only time would tell.

There was a silent pause, somewhat uncomfortable, when neither of us found something else to say. I took the lead.

"What did you mean the other day with 'I never had the choice'?" I asked Yugito seriously.

She grimaced and turned her head away.

"Exactly that," she began after taking a deep breath, still looking away, "I never got to choose. They tested me when I was born, or so I am told, and they found me apt to host the Nibi. When I turned three, they took me from the orphanage and sealed the two tails inside. They tossed me in a windowless basement for two weeks, waiting for me to lose control, but I guess I didn't. I don't remember much about the whole ordeal and I prefer it that way. Then came training, then came the war. There's not much else to say."

There was a lot more to say, a lot more to discuss and a lot more to regret, but I wasn't going to push it.

"Thank you for telling me." I offered what I could as consolation.

We stayed in silence for fifteen minutes, each dwelling in its own mind. This time, Yugito was the first to come back.

"So, we have a lot to do now." She started on a serious voice, "A-sama is sending you to the next chunin exams in Kusagakure three months from now. He wants to talk to you one of these days."

I quickly turned to her. "Chunin exams? Why so soon? I would have believed he would wait a couple of years until I was old enough..."

"You are ready, Kioshi. You might be young, but you are ready. And the only way for you to get combat experience is to rise through the ranks quickly. I don't like it, but those are A-sama's orders."

"I would need a new team, and you won't be coming, won't you?"

Yugito shook her head. "I can't. I'm restricted to the Land of Lightning."

"That sucks."

"It could be worse. B is restricted to Kumogakure and surrounding areas."

"It still sucks." I remarked.

"Kioshi, don't worry. I'll find a good team for you, a better team."

As soon as those word left her mouth bitterness stung, but I pushed through.

"You are my sensei" I complained looking straight at her.

"You think I would let you go that easily, Kioshi?" She answered with a grin "No, this is a temporary arrangement. We'll keep on training here on Saturdays after you train with your new team, and, after you make it to chunin, we'll have a lot of missions to take."

I grinned; those were good news. I was near chunin level -from what I could gather- and I had the strength and the technique to pass the exams. I just needed more combat experience against proper shinobi and not dungeon creatures.

"Let me take care of the details and I'll get back to you." Yugito said. "For now, let's go back to training." She stepped back and analyzed me. "There's not much more we can do about your taijutsu, it's solid enough and especially difficult to counter, you are just missing the range that comes with growing up. Your shurikenjutsu is almost flawless and your bukijutsu is exceptional. Physically, there's little you need that you can't improve by your own, but everything must be tested against real opponents, so we'll focus on one-on-one sparing and group attacks against clones." Her inquisitive gaze almost burned a hole in my head. "You ninjutsu is advanced and your chakra control is superb for a genin, is there anything you want me to teach you in that area?"

I pondered for some seconds before answering.

"The shunshin. I want to learn the shunshin."

"Easy enough. How's your wind manipulation?"

"The Great Breakthrough is powerful and fast enough to be used in combat now, I think, and the Flying Swallow is growing by leaps and bounds."

"Flying what now?"

"Swallow." I answered. She kept looking at me with a confused expression. "Oh, coating blade weaponry with wind chakra as razor blades to extend their size and sharpness."

Yugito raised an eyebrow. "Shape manipulation?"

"Yes. It's still too noisy for my liking and uses quite a bit of chakra, though."

"It's shape manipulation, Kioshi. Not that I ever doubted you, but shinobi start with shape manipulation at 15, at least."

"Well, its base form is easy once you understand the basics of chakra and wind manipulation. If you take into acc-"

"Please don't. I'm not in the mood to start dwelling into the properties of chakra. That old man Yataro Sada has pushed you way too deep into the theory."

"Well, the more you know, the easier it gets. Besides, it helps reducing chakra costs." I added.

"Why would you need that? You are a chakra monster for your age already."

I looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean a chakra monster?"

"You have more chakra than a regular chunin, and it's also dense enough to power up almost everything you want. Even its color looks... dense."

I knew I had a lot of chakra and that it was so uncommonly dense that it turned purple when it left my body untransformed, we deducted that much with old man Yataro. He theorized that such an anomalous dense chakra was the reason my genjutsu were so strong and why I could use advanced ninjutsu at my age. Of course, I knew the real reason for the latter. Nevertheless, I didn't like the Chakra Monster thing. If anyone, Kisame was the real chakra monster and I was leagues away from that level. Yet.

"In that case, can you also teach me the Shadow Clone jutsu?" I tentatively asked. She knew the jutsu, and if I had the chakra pool, why couldn't I learn it too? That would be a big boost for my training!

"No."

I faltered for a second. "No? Why not? It's not like-"

"No, and that's final. The Shadow Clone jutsu is extremely taxing to your chakra coils, and your coils are still developing at your age"

The seriousness of her answer caught me by surprise, but it was a reasonable concern.

One could conclude from my past experiences with learning jutsu that the Gamer's Body mechanics would warn me about the limitations and requirements of any specific technique, but this was the only way I could think of learning the shadow clone. Other than stealing the scroll of seals. 'Yeah, no.'

I decided to not press the issue any further.

"How's your genjutsu?" Yugito changed the subject.

I blinked back to reality. "I perfected all the genjutsu I know, so I'll look for another technique to learn. I wanted to develop genjutsu that targets other senses beyond sight and hearing, so I think I'll dig into that."

She crossed her arms again and pursed her lips before continuing. "Then try a genjutsu on me."

I shrugged and went through the hand seals I needed for my favorite genjutsu.

Snake, Dog, Snake, Rat: 'Petrifying Gaze.'

**-58 Chakra.**

Ding!

**Target is immune.**

'Ah, fuck.'

I forgot about the sash.

"So you knew!" Yugito blurted out, but her stunned expression relaxed before setting into an inquisitive gaze. "Can you explain this, Kioshi? I can't seem to fall under any genjutsu whenever I wear the sash you gave me."

"Yeah, well... you're right, it's the sash. It appears to make the user immune to intrusion genjutsu." I replied.

"How did you find something like this?" she asked glaring at me, "and why did you give it to me?"

Was she mad at me? "Yugito, I'm already skilled at dispelling genjutsu."

"Kioshi, you can't assume you-"

"I am. Listen, Yugito. You can't _feel_ the world as I do." I started, "I can feel metal everywhere, all around me, even the kunai every shinobi carries a thousand feet away without trying. Hell, I can even sense the metal particles in the ground. No one can comprehend my way of _seeing_ the world, Yugito, less fake it with an illusion. When I close my eyes, I can still... _see_. There's no need for me to use that. Besides, it will give you an advantage, another opportunity to survive." I continued before she objected. "It was my _gift_ to you."

She smiled a lopsided grin. She didn't seem entirely convinced but nodded anyway.

* * *

Two kids laid on the on their backs breathing heavily, a sword discarded to the right and kunai scattered around.

Not that I fared much better. I was holding my left arm where a shallow gash bled and my left foot hurt like hell. These two kids, they were good, very good.

This was my new team, and after some simple introductions, our jonin sensei made us spar. The new kid against the other two, just to test my tolerance. _My_ tolerance.

"Okay, so now we have an idea of how proficient you are," My new sensei spoke from behind us, "no wonder why A-sama recommended you for the chunin exams."

I turned my head and looked up with a smile. "Yep, thank you." I replied. "How's the weather up there?"

"As if I've never heard that one before." He scoffed sarcastically.

Haou-sensei was a walking lamppost, even taller than B, standing at 6 feet and 6 inches. He was a highly skilled jonin with a passion for teaching -hence why he taught genin and chunin- and a very respected member of Kumo's jonin force.

**Name: Haou Kogure  
Title: Jonin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 91  
Age: 42  
Haou Kogure is a jonin from Kumogakure's shinobi force and ex ANBU. He's famous for training most of the current ANBU captains and promising genin and chunin teams, and for constantly bothering the shinobi council regarding the academy's standards.****  
Relationship level: Good.**

He wore a light gray pair of pants and blue combat boots over it, and a dark tank top under his white jonin vest. As was common among Kumogakure's jonin, more so than his tanned skin, the winter cold didn't seem to bother him at all. His left arm was covered with bandages from the elbow to the wrist, and his hitai ate was tied around his right arm. Nothing held his scraggly bronze hair away from his jade eyes and his slightly wrinkled broad face.

From what Yugito told me, Haou-sensi had trained some of the best chunin teams in the shinobi force and had been training genin in odd years. The third member of his current team, Aguni Robun, was the so-called genius of his generation and after only three months of training, he earned his promotion to chunin las year. The other members of his genin team, now lying on the ground, took another year of training to be up to the level he deemed necessary before allowing them to take the exams again. Suguna and Kichiro Nagumo were both thirteen, a year older than the generation I graduated with, and would now try their skills in the upcoming chunin exams. I was the backfill.

**Name: Suguna  
Title: Genin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 31  
Age: 13  
Suguna is a genin from Kumogakure. As an orphan, Suguna grew daydreaming about running on rooftops and fighting for righteous causes. After becoming a genin, she happily left her tortuous life at the orphanage behind, carrying only a bundle of clothes and the insecurities the matron imprinted on her.****  
Relationship level: Good.**

**Name: Kichiro Nagumo  
Title: Genin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 33  
Age: 13  
Kichiro is a genin from Kumogakure. His mother inculcated her love for the shinobi arts and war games from a young age, much to his father's annoyance. He graduated as an exemplary student and renowned bookworm, and trained hard to keep his skills up to the level his mother would have wanted.  
Relationship level: Good.**

I read their files, courtesy of Yugito's _affiliation_ with Darui -I've always wondered if there was something between them- and, together with my assessment of the fight, I was quite convinced these kids would make it to chunin.

Suguna was the perfect swordswoman. Fast, strong and extremely talented with her sword: a medium-sized ninjato she kept held to her side by a sling. Besides the standard issue kunai holster and assorted pouches, she wore a tanto strapped to her lower back -which actually hindered her movements slightly. Her skills revolved around her blade, with every jutsu she knew built to support her swordplay; she was a fire elemental, and she already knew some offensive techniques. She wore a cut-out copper red shirt that exposed her midriff, a short black skirt and a pair of knee length mesh shorts underneath. She didn't wear gloves, as they 'hindered her grip', but she did wear metal vambraces and black open-toed shinobi boots up to just below the knees. Her azure eyes were almost covered by her long black hair, kept back by her hitai ate; the rest of her hair was braided as Yugito braided hers when on missions. She had long legs, long arms and a thin build, but you could notice her muscled arms bulge up whenever she wielded her blade.

The other one resting beside her, still breathless but gazing up at the skies from the ground, was Kichiro. He was, as his file said, a tactician. He centered between supporting roles and front-line combatant, specializing in nothing: he was a well-rounded shinobi. Bordering on the tall side for a thirteen years old kid, taller than Suguna and of course myself, he reminded me of a male Karui; he had the same tanned skin, amber eyes and mid-length rusty red hair tucked back by a purple bandana-styled hitai ate. But unlike the redhead girl from the manga, he held a serene expression on his face. But seldom a smile. No, the smiles were reserved only for Suguna.

Yes, they were a thing even though they avoided talking about it. They normally sat holding hands, usually hugged each other and always walked everywhere together.

Kichiro was wearing dark blue jams and shinobi sandals to just above his ankles, with bandages wrapped around his legs between those two items. His chest was covered by a simple long-sleeved black shirt and a sleeveless dark gray coat that dropped just above the knees. He hid a lot of kunai, shuriken and ninja trinkets under the coat, although the coat itself didn't look bulky.

Suguna was a close quarter fighter and Kichiro was a mid-range support shinobi, so I would be relieved between mid-to-long-range or front-line fighter. That was okay with me.

"You live up to your name, Kioshi Shirasu. I believe you will make a fine addition to the team. Welcome." Haou-sensei started while my new teammates caught their breath and began to stand up. "A-sama informed me about your kekkei genkai. Care to show us how proficient you are?"

An expected question, and an easy one to answer. I double checked around us for any intrusive shinobi, and after I confirmed their absence, I began.

"I have the magnet release kekkei genkai. I can control any metal object around me, so I can levitate and move weaponry and armor around. I can sense metal for a thousand feet away, more if I consciously make an effort. Also, since every shinobi wears their hitai ate, weapons and armor in a specific way, I can identify shinobi I've sensed before. Because of my kekkei-genkai I'm almost immune to illusionary genjutsu, as I sense the world in a very particular way."

I limited my explanation to Kumo's version of the magnet release.

Both my teammates were standing up and stretching their muscles around. Suguna was holding her left side from a strong kick she didn't block and Kichiro was rubbing his neck.

"Care for a demonstration?" Haou-sensei asked me.

I extended my arm and commanded the kunai that were lying around to levitate, having them circle above us. Then I flung them all to the nearest wooden post some feet away. All nine of them embedded deep into its side.

"I'm good with it," I added looking at my teammates, "but I do plan on keeping this a secret until the last parts of the chunin exams."

"So, you're kind of a sensor and a superb mid to long range shinobi with that kekkei genkai. We can sure use those abilities in the team..." Kichiro trailed off in a monotonous voice. I bet he was already planning on team dynamics.

"And judging by the ass whooping you just gave us you are a capable front-line shinobi too." Suguna added with a more cheerful voice "Say, did you use your kekkei genkai during the spar?"

"Yeah, but only when your sword got too close."

"Ah, so that was it." She added scratching her neck, "I thought I was having trouble with our height difference."

"Well, after that spar I think we have a solid grasp of your abilities. Anything else you want to add?" Haou-sensei interjected.

"I'm good with genjutsu and I've been developing my own. I'm also a wind elemental, I can use the Great Breakthrough and can coat kunai with wind chakra to enhance cutting power, although the last trick still uses too much chakra to my liking. I'm studying poisons and trying to perfect my taijutsu... yeah, I think that's all."

Kichiro looked at her girlfriend for a second. "Yep, another Aguni alright."

Suguna nodded and turned to me with a grin. "I'm a fire user and Kichiro is a lightning user. We both can use the basic jutsu. You must have a hell lot of chakra to be able to use those at your age."

"Okay, before this turns into another lengthy conversation between teammates we have to discuss our training regime for the coming months." Haou-sensei declared.

* * *

The next few months were hectic, but somehow drowned in routine.

I spoke with the Raikage and had a brief conversation about the upcoming exams. "Bring glory to Kumo" he said after a lengthy explanation about their significance. He gave me a mission: Become a chunin and to show the world the greatness of our village's shinobi force.

**Quest Created:  
The world's indeed a stage.**

**Win the exams.**

**Rewards:  
New Title, random jutsu.**

Just as I expected, the Raikage asked me to show the magnet release in its whole glory to the world, and somehow, I couldn't think of this other than a gladiator game. At least, he didn't touch upon my last C-rank disaster.

On Saturdays and some weekdays afternoons -and when Yugito wasn't on a mission- we trained together in one-on-one duels at the jonin training grounds, where only they and their respective high-profile mission teams were allowed. Genin were only permitted under direct permission from their jonin sensei, usually as apprentices or close family members. What it meant for Yugito and me, I couldn't tell.

The jonin training grounds were an unkept version of the normal training ground valleys, only these were located right at the base of the steepest peaks, which meant a lot of sharp rock formations, loose soil and variable steeps.

One day, Yugito came back from a bad mission. Her eyes had the same thousand-yard-stare my father once wore.

"Bad mission?" I asked.

She just nodded.

Before she buried everything away and started her training like nothing happened, I took her hand and guided her out of the training grounds and into the city to a nearby sushi place.

She didn't talk and I didn't ask; we ate in silence, listening to people going around their normal lives. Her eyes relaxed after the meal, but only muttered a thank you with a sad smile before shunshining away.

The routine helps escape the pain, but sometimes breaking it is the only way to confront your feelings.

Weekday training regime with Haou-senei was tough. He was a disciplined teacher and demanded all but perfection from his genin. It was everything I expected, and I couldn't argue with the results. In barely a month Suguna, Kichiro and I were working as a unit; our joint taijutsu bouts were more ingenious every day and the mockup missions sensei gave us -capturing his clones, rescuing a wooden dummy, retrieving documents, etc.- were accomplished almost perfectly.

Suguna was a strong front-line fighter while Kichiro was a remarkable tactician and both supported and complemented each other perfectly.

She was an impatient girl, and Kichiro had to calm her down when discussing attack plans lest she jumped right at the action. She often doubted herself and relied on a small chain of jade magatama beads she carried around her neck to calm down. She held them close to her heart, sometimes while closing her eyes and murmuring a prayer, before jumping head first into a difficult situation.

Kichiro had the bad habit of convoluting everything when explaining his battle plans, and Suguna had to translate for me and hurry him up. "Take the right, I'll support" became "From what I can gauge, you should get into position to the right side of the area. Attack with any pattern you find comfortable but keep an eye in your surroundings while I myself will be supporting you from back here with medium-long range weaponry." Yeah, that got old fast. But his ideas and formations were almost flawless, incorporating my skill set on the go even when Haou-sensei forbade us from using certain skills or jutsu.

We corrected each other's mistakes and we guarded each other backs. We had lunch together almost every day and talked a lot.

Kichiro, being a nosy kid, constantly asked me about my life even though some questions might have been considered socially awkward. Not that I cared about that kind of things; we even saw each other half-naked once, when Haou sensei made us fight him above a big pond while his clones bombarded us with water bullets. I couldn't care about social norms after seeing two thirteen years old kids fight on their damp underwear.

So I told them about Tadashi and Kazuya and about our last C-rank mission, and we talked about our families or lack thereof. Kichiro's mother was killed five years ago in the line of duty and his father, a civilian businessman, married again three months later. Suguna was an orphan and never knew her parents, she was abandoned as a baby near a dumpster outside of a liquor store in the bad part of the village. She was rescued and given to one of Kumo's orphanages, where she grew up between other girls and boys until she graduated. She went to live on her own in a run-down apartment some blocks away from where I live.

I wasn't surprised to know Kichiro was planning to ask her to live together after the exams, in a small apartment he wanted to buy. I also asked them about their relationship, something they didn't like to talk too much about, but they obliged. Long story short: they were academy sweethearts.

Haou-sensei's training also comprised of a lot of technical information. We reviewed formations, shinobi codes, protocols and even the important strategies of the past shinobi wars. We even discussed the importance of the Kinkaku force and their defeat by Tobirama Senju. He was a walking library that man.

I'll never trade Yugito, but this... this felt right. This was a proper team.

Most nights and Sundays were my own, and I spent most of those Sunday mornings sitting with the old man outside at his garden, even after winter began. When I told him I about the chunin exams in Kusagakure, he offered me a mission.

"Kioshi, there's something I have to ask of you." His rusty voice interrupted our morning silence, "I have a... mission of sorts."

I raised an eyebrow and urged him to continue.

"There's a certain item I want you to bring me, an item I want you to steal."

"Steal? Wh-"

"The reasons are my own," he said, "and of course, you can refuse."

It took me a couple of seconds to realize he was waiting for an answer. I trusted the old man.

"What do you want me to steal?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes taking a sorrowful vacant look. "There's a certain document on display in a Kusa museum, a letter from the Nidaime Tsuchikage to his brother."

That was a strange request.

**Quest Created:  
When morning is just a few hours away.**

**Steal the Nidaime Tsuchikage's letter.**

**Rewards:  
-**

* * *

After the three months of training, before leaving to Kusa, I mentally reviewed my inventory, clothes and double checked my stat screen.

'Status.'

**Name: Kioshi Shirasu**

**Title: Genin of Kumogakure  
Age: 8  
Level 34 (8470/24400)**

**HP: 810/810  
SP: 1107/1107  
Chakra: 1381/1382  
Chakra Control: 78%**

**STR: 84  
DEX: 102  
VIT: 79  
INT: 80  
WIS: 75  
CHA: 7/10  
Points: 29**

**Money: 131240**

I've grown quite a bit over the past few months and judging by my level alone, I was already chunin material.

All that dungeon diving, studying, exercising, training and polishing out my skills increased my stats enormously. I distributed some of my unspent points equally throughout my stats, DEX went over one hundred. I felt stronger, faster, and more mentally capable. My Chakra, SP and HP began to skyrocket.

Yugito even stopped pulling her punches that much. It hurt like hell, but I was giving her a workout too.

Also, most of my most advanced techniques grew steadily, though they still haven't max out yet:

**Veiled Fist Lvl. 35 (46%)  
\- A difficult to telegraph and difficult to master taijutsu style, it also takes advantage of hidden weaponry to inflict damage.  
Increases unarmed and armed damage by 35%.**

**Advanced Shurikenjutsu. Lvl 19. (91%)  
\- Perfected techniques for thrown weaponry developed by the Uchiha clan.  
Increases ranged damage and accuracy by 19%.**

I hated not knowing when my skills would max out.

My "passive" skills were developing quite well too:

**Wind Release. Lvl 34. (84%)  
\- The rarest of nature transformations, transform chakra into wind or control the winds themselves. At higher levels, more advanced techniques can be used.**

**Poison Resistance. Lvl 20. (4%)  
\- Your resistance to all physical and chakra poisons and venoms you could find in the elemental nations.  
Reduces severity and duration of toxins by 20 percent.  
You are now immune to basic and moderate toxins.**

Training poison resistance was a pain in the ass, even if meditating got rid of most of the horrible toxins in just some minutes. It's not funny injecting oneself with a paralytic agent you just learned to craft and then waiting for the effects to wear off while your nervous system is screaming at you. The skill, however, was increasing, and I finally became immune to all the concoctions I could make. The Basic Toxin, the Intermediate Toxin and the Contact Toxin were all liquids that causes pain in an area, the first two must be applied by wound, as they were blood poisons, and the third was a simple contact toxin, similar to the venom of a spitter snake, I guessed.

I had to build a small distillery lab to create the intermediate paralytic agent. Kumogakure didn't have a chemical equipment store -no surprise there- and most of the glassware I had to buy from assorted houseware stores. After three attempts, I finally distilled some unripe small plums, mixed them with other distilled fluids, and created the poison, a good remembrance of the Centipede Monstrosity's venom. The whole ordeal was a pleasant way to pass the cold winter nights.

The Great Breakthrough and the Flying Swallow were also sitting at a nice level too, the first one at 18 and the second at 13. I could even now overload the Great Breakthrough to uproot small trees, though it used three times more chakra. The Flying Swallow leveled slower and made too much noise, and I trained it intensively against dungeon animals.

Yugito taught me the Shunshin, and it became a favorite. The physics -if you could call them that- behind the jutsu were quite simple: gather your chakra around your body to 'vitalize' it and release it in a burst through your limbs. The poof of smoke I remember from the manga wasn't part of the jutsu per se, it appeared if you overloaded the chakra just before releasing it. Whatever the hell Kakashi did to incorporate leaves into its execution remained a mystery to me, though. But it is a great jutsu and uses very little chakra!

**Body Flicker Technique. Lvl 5 (45%)  
D rank  
\- By vitalizing the body with chakra, the user can move at extreme speeds.  
Requirements: 50% Chakra control.  
Cost: Variable.**

My chakra control training was going okay too. Of course I remembered the three steps Jiraiya used to teach Naruto the Rasengan, but I took a different approach. I didn't need to learn the jutsu, just its theoretical applicability to train my chakra control, so I didn't use water balloons or rubber balls. If I could go through the steps -rotation, power and stability- without a medium to help me, I would be relying solely on chakra control. That was Kazuya's perfectionism right there.

It proved to be a difficult task: Chakra fought against control. The refined control needed to impart rotational momentum was astounding and the resulting centripetal forces tended to destabilize the jutsu. Accounting for viscosity alone was a pain in the ass.

But those grueling nights of were baring results, and my chakra control began to slowly increase. I expected it would take me another six months to finally form a stable Rasengan if I were to follow my stupidly convoluted and methodical approach. But hell, I was having a great time doing it.

I finally created a new genjutsu that attacked other senses, and it was awesome. I called it Shellshock.

**Shellshock Technique. Lvl 6 (11%)  
B rank  
\- A genjutsu that overloads the victim's nervous system and alters their perception of balance and orientation via the inner ear canal.  
Requirements: 70% Chakra control.  
Cost: 34 Chakra points per use.**

It was fast and didn't require eye contact like the Petrifying Gaze genjutsu, which I finally maxed out. All it took was a small stream of chakra sent into the victim's ear canal, where it would overload their nervous system and mess up their sense of balance, producing vertigo, nausea, involuntary eye movement, fluctuating hearing loss and arrhythmia.

It was remarkably effective at disrupting enemy actions -movement, jutsu or hand seals, for example. A running victim would stumble to the ground, an attacking enemy would misstep, and an unsuspecting shinobi would feel the world spinning and would be unable to focus. The Shellshock genjutsu was as nifty creation and only required two hand seals. The only drawback: it was easy to detect and therefore straightforward to release if the person had the mental fortitude. Haou-sensei praised its ingenuity as I practiced it mostly against my new teammates. Kichiro also said that he suffered from tinnitus for a couple of days afterwards.

But the best news during these last months was the discovery of another form of my magnet release.

During my first visit to the jonin training grounds, I spotted a blue orb hovering above a rocky formation and so it happened that it was a dungeon right at my level.

So one day at dusk, after training with Yugito and under the excuse of needing to clear my head, I headed to the blue orb of light and entered the new dungeon. It was a small forest of scattered trees and rounded rocks bordering a wide stream of water, and it was packet with wild boars. Those were easy to deal with as was the dungeon boss, a small house-sized boar with enormous tusks that sparkled with electricity. Nothing a fast taijutsu bout with wind enhanced kunai couldn't handle.

It was after the battle that I felt it. The same thing I kept feeling deep underground the valleys of Kumo, I felt it strongly in that forest.

I sat down after killing the boss and went into shallow meditation, shifting my consciousness into the forest ground. There, I felt it again. Sand, iron sand... or so I thought.

Eagerly, I commanded that sand to come forth to the surface and opened my eyes. Floating in front of me was a small glob of brownish red sand.

'What the hell?'

Ding!

**Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 50. (4%)  
\- The famed third Kazekage's version of the kekkei genkai. By controlling magnetic fields, ferromagnetic iron sands obey your commands. Control, sand amount and Chakra cost are variable, depending on skill level.  
Magnet Release now grants command over the Crimson Iron Sand.**

'Crimson Sand?' I was confused. 'Did I just unlock a new type of Iron Sand?' Not a second later, my eyes widened in surprise.

I took a closer look at the floating mass of red sand hovering in front of me. I was mistaken to believe my kekkei genkai could only command the normal iron sand I accumulated from painstakingly grinding kunai to a dry whetstone. It seemed my magnet release would affect any kind of iron, and the most prevalent type of iron in the ground were iron oxides: compounds of iron and oxygen -and hydrogen, if I recalled correctly- which colors ranged from reddish browns to orange to yellows.

'A new type of Iron Sand?!'

I didn't even tried to ponder about the magnetism of iron oxides -weren't they ferromagnetic too?-, nor the formation of rust when exposed to humidity. I neglected most of my chemistry and soil engineering classes back in the real world and they wouldn't come back just like that.

Disregarding its color, the Crimson Sand looked remarkably similar to the regular Iron Sand at first glance. Upon closer inspection though, I noted the new sand was coarser, probably because of its natural origins. But there was so much of it! In just one hour I mustered as much Crimson Sand as regular Iron Sand I gathered during these last years.

I could see it now. Every time my Magnet Release leveled up, my control over the Iron Sand also increased, allowing me to control more sand at the same time. If my kekkei genkai continued to develop and if my increasing perception of iron sands underground followed the same principle, I could eventually draw out huge amounts of Crimson Sands from the ground itself, just as the Yondaime Kazekage did with his Gold Dust during the fourth war. True, that was in a desert, but that's beside the point.

This new sand would open doors to so much more!

'Fuck yeah!'

Naturally, inspiration hit me. I trained for days at a time inside the dungeon, leveling up the skill, improving my command over the sands and coming back every week after it reset. I couldn't really tell how much time passed inside, as the sun remained static and never moved an inch, but after a month of coming back to that dungeon I was able to command both the regular Iron Sand and the Crimson Sand to form different shapes like in the manga; cubes, cylinders, spikes, blades... you name it.

There was an important difference between the sands: the Crimson Sand was brittler, and its coarser grains also meant that any cutting shape I fashioned didn't have the sharp edges as when using the regular iron sand. That didn't mean they couldn't pierce the dungeon's wild boars like butter; all of them were reduced to the small glimmers of light in minutes, speared, stabbed and cut by my iron sands. The dungeon boss didn't get to move at all as I held it with the Crimson Sand and skewered it with black stakes.

I decided there and then that the black Iron Sands were going to be my first choice when forming shapes and offensive elements, while the Crimson Sands were going to be relegated to capture targets and as a defense mechanism, like Gaara's. Shame it didn't have the same automatic response, though. Moreover, until I could summon large amounts of sands from the ground like he could, I'll carry my new sand sealed up in a slot in my inventory just like the regular iron sand. By the final day before leaving to Kusa, I had five times the amount of Crimson Sand than of Black Sand stored in my inventory.

This new sand felt overwhelming. It felt like I was finally starting my journey to become another shinobi monster in this world.

Nevertheless, this new version of the Magnet Release would paint a huge target over my head if it goes out, so my original plan would stay the same: keep it hidden until I could defend her and myself from all the other monsters. That didn't mean I couldn't use the sands, but that I shouldn't leave any evidence or witnesses.

I didn't tell anyone about the crimson sands, not even Yugito. It was my trump card.

Going back to my new team, we went on two C-rank missions. The first one a simple courier mission to a small village in the northern part of the Land of Lightning -in which I learned that winter was a harsh season in the Land of Lightning and that snow was, in fact, a pain in the ass during missions. The second one was an escort mission, and that one turned out to be though. We had to escort this rich civilian trader to a border outpost, and we ran into some bandits. I had to kill one of them.

I learned two things.

First, I only receive Exp points by killing an enemy and not by knocking them out, which made sense as I wasn't getting any exp from sparring.

And second, I really thought it was going to be a grievous and painful situation, but there was no moral conundrum. Nothing. Yugito's words resonated in my mind during the scuffle. _Better to be a shinobi than a civilian_. And like she said, all I could think about was 'better them than me.'

It's not that I didn't feel like shit after the fight, but the gamer's mind took the blunt of it, and I let it drown it away.

Kichiro and Suguna were faring better than me, but it wasn't easy for them too.

We were shinobi, we were supposed to kill. Even if we didn't like it.

* * *

The day before leaving, Yugito and I were sitting down, leaning against one of the big angular rocks on the training grounds, admiring the cold sunset. The red colors reflected off the snow-covered ground, and bathed the trees and the village itself, giving a radiant but soothing atmosphere that was difficult not to be overwhelmed by.

She was wearing her normal attire, her special jonin vest, a chain of blue beds around her left hand and her hitai ate holding her blonde hair back, unbraided. She looked so much better with her hair untied.

I also changed little from my normal clothes. Black shinobi pants held by the Belt of the Monkey God, a black long-sleeved shirt and closed-toe shinobi sandals. Because of the cold, I wore a hooded coat with short sleeves and that dropped at my knees. It closed to one side, but wider at the bottom almost like a haori, allowing me to move my legs unhindered. It was dark gray colored in a tone similar to my hair, which I cut recently: short and spiky.

The sun was quickly setting and Yugito looked at me directly for a full minute before turning back at the sunset.

"You better come back alive, or else..." She said.

She wasn't smirking nor she was crying.

"I will, whatever it takes."

* * *

Haou-sensei, Kichiro, Suguna, and I left the village gates at dawn the next day, just as the sun rose over the eastern mountains. The cold was heavy, so we traveled with thick winter cloaks over our shoulders.

We could fight the cold by shuffling chakra under our skin, but even though the Winter Coat jutsu didn't use that much chakra, it was used only as an alternative in case you didn't have the right clothes or you were traveling through freezing environments.

We crossed the endless blanket of clouds and began our trek to the borders. Our way was set. We will go through the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water directly into the Land of Fire and travel along the border until we reach the Land of Grass. As Haou-sensei told us, even if the Land of Lightning wasn't currently at war with the Land of Fire, the Hyuga incident worsened the then flimsy trust between them. Nothing was set in stone, but Kumo shinobi avoided entering the Land of Fire unless under strict reasons, and vice versa. We had permission to go through, but we would avoid spending more time than the absolute minimum on Konoha's domain.

Haou-sensei set a gruesome pace, shunshining every now and then and throwing shuriken in our direction to test our reaction times. Training, he called it. In my opinion, he was too demanding of us. I didn't particularly care, I demanded much from myself, but if Suguna or Kichiro didn't have the strength or the maturity I came to acknowledge during these months, I doubted they would have lasted this far. Haou-sensei trained the best, true, but I could guess a lot of mid-tier genin get left behind because nobody gave a rat's ass about them.

It was close to midnight that day when we arrived at the same snow refuge near the border, the one from my first C-rank. Suguna and Kichiro collapsed on their beds, while I lied down and watched my SP points finished recovering. I tired much slower than my teammates, a consequence of how far I've taken my stamina training. It started with morning jogs, which became morning sprints and which, in time, turned into interval training and weighted dynamic drills. I hated every single day of that training, but that was the idea; if you're always enjoying training, you probably have to kick your training up a notch. Now I could jog at a decent pace and my SP points wouldn't drop at all since my regeneration was now high enough to compensate the loss. To put it in numbers, it took 22 minutes for my SP to fully regenerate while standing still or ambling around, and 10 minutes if I meditated. On every small rest Haou-sensei gave us on our way here, my half-spent SP points recovered completely. The trip was easy!

The next day we showed our papers at the border control point and crossed to the Land of Frost. It lived up to its name. The snow was so thick we had to run channeling chakra to our feet. Aside from that, nothing of notice happened, we didn't run into any town or any living being for that matter. No shinobi controlled us on our way in or our way out. From the map I had we did cross the border control point, but there was no sign of any anyone...

It was a slow way across the Land of Frost, but we arrived at the border with the Land of Hot Water by afternoon, where we were controlled by Yugakure shinobi before crossing.

Yep, I thought the Land of Hot Water didn't have shinobi at all, but they did. Only for domestic affairs and security, though.

We arrived at our second stop way past the sunset, a small roadside town called Kurigawa. The moment we entered the town, my global map updated showing a new point with the town's name next to it. Neat.

Ding!

**Map updated.**

Suguna vainly tried to convince Haou-sensei to stop at Yugakure itself, arguing its hot springs were legendary and whatnot. She had to come to terms with a small hotel and its hard beds.

The next morning, we took back to the road after a big breakfast and a good sleep, and by noon we approached the border with the Land of Fire.

The landscape changed drastically, rocky grounds and scattered bushes gave way to increasingly lush tempered forest of enormous green trees that obscured what little light shone through the clouds. Two jonin and five chunin guarded the control post and, from what by Observe passive skill showed, three more shinobi were hidden among the trees.

No known name, regrettably; it would have been amazing to meet Kakashi, Asuma or any other jonin from the manga. Or a shinobi from a clan.

Haou-sensei agreed to stay close to the borders and away from the inner areas of the country or any major city in our way to Kusa, and the Konoha shinobi let us enter. We were supposed to report at the control points along the borders with the other countries: the Land of Rice, the Land of Iron, the Land of Waterfalls and finally the Land of Grass.

This was going to be at least a three-day trip through the Land of Fire, so we immediately began our journey.

"That was a busy control point." Kichiro commented.

"The Land of Fire takes border controls very seriously. They don't have the luxury of our single land border." Haou-sensei enlightened us. "Besides, they also take a lot of international missions to the minor countries because of the amount of trading they do."

"We don't?" Suguna asked.

"Not as much as them, we export mostly weapons, iron and gold. We used to export grain, too."

"Wait," I interrupted, "aren't we importing grain and produce right now?"

That was what I saw during the C-rank missions I took with Yugito; caravans entering the Land of Lightning with grains and vegetables and whatnot.

"Our lands are dry," Haou-sensei answered me, "we haven't got a good rain in years now and the northern crop lands were attacked by a plague. It will take years for them to recover."

'Huh. So that's why food is getting more expensive in Kumo.' Not that I cared. I reserved the issue for later musings.

The Land of Fire was beautiful. It was green, even during winter, and the sun shun heavily on the sky through the clouds. By the end of first day we arrived at the control point near the border with the Land of Rice and began our climb onto one of the Land of Fire's extensive mountain ranges. It was a wide collection of middle-sized mountains that received snow mostly during the winters; none had the eternal glaciers of the Land of Lightning's peaks.

This range was born right in the middle of the Land of Fire and extended to the north into the Land of Iron, growing in altitude and width far into the Land of Iron, forming the cold plateaus they are known for, where the Three Wolves mountains stood tall. That was the land of the samurai.

I would love to visit that place sometime, but shinobi from every nation respected the one unwritten world-wide law: You do not mess with the samurai. And not because shinobi couldn't actually wipe them out in a war, it was just one of those rules that no one broke, because reasons. I was inclined to believe it was because the Land of Iron did produce most of the chakra channeling metal of the elemental nations -it was the only product they exported in bulk- and no nation was going to risk their supply by provoking the samurai.

Whatever the real reason was, I loved how that rule was so ingrained among shinobi that even the children in Kumo were told the rule as parts of their bedtime stories.

The climb over the Land of Fire side of the mountain range was slow, and Haou-sensei set a fast pace. We only stopped when Suguna or Kichiro needed some rest.

"How the hell aren't you tired?" Suguna asked me between huffs and grunts.

"Training." I answered with a devious smile.

"I hate you." That was a panting Kichiro.

We were two thirds of the way to the Nissho mountain pass when the last rays of light began to fade, so we made camp that night. Snow covered the area as we were high enough, but again, nothing we weren't prepared for.

The sky was empty of clouds when we were reached the pass the following day. We could see the top of the ever-green forests that characterized the Land of Fire. To the south, small canyons and hills stood out between all the green.

"That's the central formation of the Land of Fire." Haou-sensei told us. "Konohagakure is somewhere around that area."

There, somewhere around there, the main part of the story was unfolding. It brought a smile to my face knowing that Naruto was probably sleeping in class by then.

* * *

After entering the land of Grass, we crossed a new Kanabi Bridge built after the original was destroyed by Kakashi, Obito and Rin. The same bridge where Kakashi received his Sharingan from a 'dying' Obito.

There was no commemorative plaque, no written story nor shrine; there was nothing to remind people that this bridge's destruction during the third war was such a pivotal event.

But some shinobi did know about the importance of this place; Haou-sensei took a couple of seconds to marvel at the bridge and the ruins down the ravine before crossing it, just like I did.

A forest extended after the ravine to the north as far as my eyes could see. This valley was remarkably similar to the Land of Fire's forest, the smaller size of its trees the only noticeable difference. As my map said, right after crossing the hills to the west, the huge extensions of grass commonly known as The Grasslands would start. There, between the pasture covered hills, the Village Hidden in the Grass stood.

We were asked for our papers again at the entrance of the village, where we had to register our team for the exams. Apart from one turned head and one raised eyebrow, none of the Kusa shinobi guarding the gates commented about my age, for which I was thankful. That sort of comments got old fast after all the border controls. One Kusa shinobi guided us to our designated hotel.

"So," I asked the shinobi on our way to the hotel, "anything you can tell us about Kusa?"

She was a level 67 kunoichi, a jonin, dressed in a simple sand colored garb over blue pants and long-sleeved blue shirt. Her jonin vest looked remarkably similar to Konoha's. She wore a conical straw hat over her head, and now that I realized, it was a common headdress among the residents of the village. Why would they use them when the winter sun shone so dimly? Perhaps it was part of their culture.

The kunoichi looked down at me. "Kusa is a small village with strong traditions."

Cue in the usual uncomfortable silence that follows such short answers.

She didn't say another word until we arrived at our hotel. "You are to remain within the village at all times. Any type of misbehavior will be sanctioned." She gave Haou-sensei a scroll and shunshined away.

"Bitch." Suguna commented.

"Yep." I answered shrugging.

We checked in at the hotel's reception desk and were shown to our rooms. They weren't half bad, a simple room with three beds and a bathroom for Kichiro, Suguna and me and a single room for Haou-sensei.

Hanging from a wall next to the reception desk was a map of Kusagakure, so I took a closer look at it and got the alert.

Ding!

**Map added:  
Kusagakure.**

That was important, all I had from the area was a border and border crossings map, and a Landscapes maps that showed the different biomes of the elemental nations in a very rough and vague way. Now I had a detailed map of the Village.

It was lunch hour, so we took a stroll outside to find some place to eat and get acquainted with the village. The exams would start in two days, confirmed by the scroll Haou-sensei was given, so we decided to take it easy and rest until the start.

Kusa wasn't anything impressive to be honest. It was just a quarter the size of Kumo and looked like a small resting town, like those found along trading routes. The feel was somewhat similar to what you expect from the holiday spot far from the big cities: open spaces, wide streets and small buildings. Roof tiles of varied tones of red and yellow crowned every structure, and green grass and small trees adorned every corner and the numerous gardens and parks. Winter didn't seem to affect the flora here too much, as most of the trees and bushes still wore their green leaves proudly. Clearly, Kusa wasn't subjected to harsh winters like Kumo was.

But the most beautiful feature of the village wasn't its architecture, it was its surrounding mountains. Beautiful green-covered hills surrounded the grass-covered valley. You could see a thin mantle of clouds rolling across the highlands squeezing between the mountain tops and falling into the surrounding forests, shrouding them with humid air that fed the vast collection of rivers that traversed the lands.

As we ambled around, civilians went around their lives and only gave us sideways glances because of our hitai ate and Kichiro's and Haou-sensei's tanned skin. And probably because the lack of straw hats over our heads.

We spotted a shinobi team from Iwa and one from Amegakure also wandering the streets. As per our orders, we didn't greet them in any way, but Haou-sensei gave his jonin colleagues a cordial nod that was reciprocated with a similarly cordial nod.

Who would have guessed? Shinobi can be civilized...

I Observed the six genin. Their levels ranged from 32 to 37, the highest one being a tall Iwa genin that glared at us.

This exam was going to be tough. I smiled, feeling eager to start the exams and fight strong.

We ended up having lunch in a small stand of, you better believe it, ramen. Ramen! Suguna just smelled around the food district and decided to run towards that particular stall.

"She always does that," Kichiro commented with a smile, "we just follow her nose. She has never been wrong."

It wasn't as cold as Kumo's icy winters, but the warm broth and noodles really uplifted my mood. I can see why Naruto is addicted to this stuff.

After our lunch and some small talk -we were not supposed to talk about the exams in public- I convinced my team to visit the local museums.

I had a mission and the more information I collected beforehand, the better.

We looked around for a moment before Haou-sensei asked for directions to a civilian passing by.

"We can get you one of those straw hats too, sensei." I quipped. "I bet it's still cold up there."

"But not for you, you'll disappear under one." Haou-sensei taunted back.

Suguna and Kichiro chuckled at my expenses.

'Touché.'

"Are we going back to Kumo before the final rounds? I've heard there's always an interlude." I asked Haou-sensei as we began walking to the nearest museum.

"According to the chronogram, you'll only get a two-week rest before the final fights, so I don't think we'll go back to Kumo."

'Perfect,' I thought, 'let's see in which museum the letter is and devise a plan to steal it during the interlude.' An idea started to brew in the back of my mind.

The first museum we visited was the Exhibition Hall of Shinobi Warfare. It recounted the events surrounding all three wars and Kusagakure's stance during the period. They were non-belligerent during the first, they sided with Konoha for the second war and tried to remain neutral during the last war. Their location between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth begrudgingly pushed them into the conflict during the final stages of the last war, were they sided with Konoha only on paper. In reality, no Kusa shinobi fought; they remained protecting their lands from the other two nation's onslaught. By the end of the war, the northern part of the Land of Grass was the center of the scuffles between Iwa and Konoha, but after the destruction of the Kanabi bridge and the Yondaime Hokage's decisive victory, most of the fighting in the area was done.

Kusa recovered quickly and went back to their neutral stance between the two nations. Even if there was no mention of their relationship with Amegakure, I would guess Kusa was happy that most of the fighting took place in the Land of Rain.

The 'museum' only had some documents, rusted weapons and various paintings of battles and aftermaths. Nothing of worth.

The letter I was after was in the next museum we visited, the Kusagakure National Museum, which showcased some historical documents -those without any real value I presumed, it was a shinobi village after all- and other excavated small artifacts regarding its foundation and its early history. There, in a deserted and almost forgotten section, the letter old man Yataro wanted was exhibited.

Kusa was founded later than the other shinobi villages, but the Land of Grass was already stablished before that. After the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth created their respective shinobi village and unified their lands, the daimyo of the Land of Grass decided to follow the same steps. Why did a letter from the Nidaime Tsuchikage ended up in a Kusagakure museum? The grass daimyo bought the western arable lands from the Land of Earth, the same region where the second Tsuchikage's family -or clan- allegedly originated from before moving to Iwagakure after its foundation. The letter was just one of the many minor documents found later in the area.

The letter was almost completely foxed, the paper browned and its borders were chipped. The ink had all but faded and blotches covered what little hasn't vanished yet. I could only make out a couple of words and kanji here and there, but it didn't bother me. I wondered why old man Yataro wanted this thing, it shouldn't have any historical value if it had not been stolen yet.

'Now, all I have to do is plan.'

The next morning, we visited another small museum and had lunch afterwards in a local restaurant serving Kusagakure's gastronomic specialties, those being different types of game meats. Mostly different types of boar. Bow hunting was a national hobby, I learned from the waiter. There was even a yearly competition of glass arrowhead hunting.

That afternoon, we stayed at the hotel preparing for the exams. We went through formations, tactics, information gathering protocols and a few rounds of 'where can everything go to hell.' Suguna and Kichiro shared their experience of their last exams with me. Kichiro also set us up with a lot of different tactics to use against rock jutsu -him being a lighting user and their old teammate having to fight an Iwa genin on the final round. I shared some of my simple pain-inducing poisons with them and gave them each a small vial of the antidote too, just in case.

"Should we coat kunai with these right now?" Kichiro looked at sitting on his bed. Suguna was sharpening her ninjato and her tanto on the bathroom.

"These toxins degrade quickly with air, so unless you can keep them sealed in a scroll..."

He put the vial inside his blue coat and cocked his head. "Where did you study poisons? Did Yugito Nii teach you?"

"Yes and no. I've always wanted to study poisons and she gave me a small book. Most of it has been testing, failing, and trying again. Kumo is not renowned like Kiri is." I sighed.

Kichiro nodded again, and went over to check on Suguna.

They went to sleep early, and I was left alone sitting at the hotel's reception to plan. I only had one clear reference about this type of exams: the Konoha's chunin exams. If anything was similar, according to the schedule, was the final round at the local stadium. All I could do was assume what the prior rounds would be, but I was almost certain one of them would be a team test.

As every night, I cleared my head and went into deep meditation. There was something bothering me in the back of my mind since we left Kumo, and I couldn't point a finger at it.

* * *

Orochimaru. I forgot about Orochimaru and his Kusagakure base.

'Fuck!'

I opened my eyes around 4 am. How the hell could I forget about such _minor _detail?

Orochimaru was one of the people I wanted to kill or, if Itachi did everything according to canon, I had to kill Kabuto to avoid the fucking mess the fourth war was going to be. Neither should have been pardoned at the end of the manga in my opinion.

'Let's see.' I thought to myself, trying to remember the original timeline. My memory was perfect, true -a benefit of the gamer's mind- but that didn't mean I could recall everything from my past life. Every day I forgot something new, and it felt dreadful not knowing what memories you were forgetting with each passing day. Some things stayed, like my bitch of a mother and-

'No, focus on the present.' I breathed in and out,

Orochimaru was a part of the Akatsuki until Itachi arrived and bitch-slapped him away. When did that happen?

The Uchiha massacre happened when Sasuke was seven, so if it didn't happen already, it will happen soon. I wouldn't know, it's not like that type of news would be made public immediately, but I haven't heard any rumors yet.

So Orochimaru was probably still wearing the black and red-clouded cloak, or he recently ran away. He would then go to the Land of Rice and establish Otogakure.

Was I safe? If I used my kekkei genkai publicly, would that put a giant target over my head? I had my orders from the Raikage, although it seemed like a bad idea now. I was strong, but not strong enough to survive Orochimaru yet. But then again, he wasn't interested that much in Kumo's version of the magnet release, didn't he?

'No, fuck that guy.'

I wouldn't go back to being afraid. I needed to my promotion, I needed to get strong quickly enough to take the world, so the world wouldn't take her from me.

I'll give them the show the Raikage expects, and we'll see the repercussions later. At most, this will put an international target over my head, but that also meant that Kumogakure would have my back.

In time, my iron sands would make me unstoppable.

Until then, I'll have to survive.

Opening my inventory, I started sorting my supplies, my poisons, my antidotes, the kunai and the shuriken -and their poisoned variants-, my black sand and my crimson sand, just in case.

"You look worried." Haou-sensei commented that morning.

"I am worried."

* * *

"Now that's a nice building." Suguna observed.

Haou-sensei walked us early to where the exams were to start; a huge building constructed with of maple-leaf colored wooden planks, stone pillars and covered with blue rooftiles. It had the standard old Japanese building look that most of the village's structures shared, and it was surrounded by a beautiful green garden and cherry blossom trees that I bet looked beautiful in spring. Above the door, the words "Kusa Shinobi Administrative Building" were painted proudly.

"This is where I leave you." Haou-sensei addressed us. "You know the drill, so come back alive. You are strong, you will do this. But remember there's no shame in walking away if your lives are in danger."

That last remark was obviously meant for me.

We thanked him and went through the building's main door into a large reception area that was almost empty, except for a single jonin who was leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed.

He was wearing the typical jonin attire of Kusa bar the common straw hat -dark pants and shirt, dark green jonin vest and typical combat boots. The only peculiar thing was his head, it was covered by bandages, even his hair if he had any. Only his eyes could be seen.

He was holding a note pad on one of his hands, so without a pause, we approached him.

"Names?" He stated with a lazy but unusually loud voice, still leaning against the wall. Suguna staggered a bit, surprised by his loud voice.

"Suguna, Kioshi Shirasu and Kichiro Nagumo, from Kumogakure." Kichiro answered.

"The girl, to room five. You," the jonin said to Kichiro, "to room four and you, to room two." He didn't like our curios glances. He pointed in the direction of a hall to the left. "Move!"

We nodded to each other and walked through the corridor at the end of the reception hall. The first door to the right had the number 2 painted over the door's header. I gave one last smile to my teammates and went inside.

It was a small sized classroom, with rows of desk, white walls, white ceiling, big windows covering one of the walls, a lustrous wooden floor and a teacher's desk in front of all the others. An in that desk, right next to the door I just barged in, a jonin sat with a serious expression.

"Welcome. Go and sit down." The proctor greeted me unemotionally. He was a short and stout individual, but imposed respect to everyone around him. The long katana strapped to his back, a nodachi, really helped to uphold that effect.

As most of the shinobi in this village, he wore the simple jonin attire, and besides his stature and the blade, his only special feature was a dense black beard. Also, his head was bald. He looked badass in my opinion.

The room was packed with genin. About 16 kids were sitting, patiently waiting for the test to begin. I could see their names floating above their heads forming a sea of semi-transparent boxes.

I sat down at an empty place at the middle, next to a kid from Iwa. He didn't look tough, besides his level, but appearances can be deceiving -me being the prime example. He looked down at me and turned away, scoffing.

**Name: Senzo Satake  
Title: Genin of Iwagakure.  
Level: 36  
Age: 12  
Senzo is a genin from Iwagakure. He specializes in taijutsu, learning his family's fighting style from a young age. He's the youngest of three brothers, and as such, he's both loved and resented by them. ****  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

Before I could Observe any other genin, the proctor stood up and gestured us to quiet down.

The classroom immediately became dead silent, everyone looked anxious and glanced around themselves.

This was clearly going to be a written test, but what would it _really_ be? Would it be a simple information gathering test like Naruto's or a more convoluted trial with some obscure purpose in mind?'

The proctor stood in front of us and studied us for a while before unsealing a bunch of papers.

"You will remain silent." He simply voiced.

He handed a stack of papers to each genin sitting in the front and motioned them to pass the exams backwards, so they took one and did as told.

"This is a standard exam involving everything a chunin should know." The proctor continued while the exam papers were passed around. "Your team will be graded according to your individual scores, and only the top 60% will pass. You are not allowed to copy or disturb any other genin. Begin." He sat down in the teacher's desk, crossed his arms and leaned backwards wrinkling his nose. His focused gaze began scanning the room.

I looked down at the test in my hands. Almost all the questions were about facts and details not taught at the academy. Advanced formations, historical weaponry, historical facts, chakra theory, nature transformation theory, basic anatomy, international border laws and their history before the foundation of the shinobi villages, important moments of history, etc. Questions you would expect a chunin to answer, not a fresh genin.

I answered them all as best as I could, but the anatomy portion was centered on first aid knowledge which I didn't really cared to learn, gamer's body and all.

Another thing to add to the ever growing 'To Learn' list, I guessed.

During the test, I didn't see nor sense anything suspicious. The proctor remained seated in front of the class, calmed and collected, with a stern eye focused on each and everyone of us. None of the genin were called out or kicked out. This was just a simple test, made to assess our knowledge of shinobi topics that we should have learned after graduating.

However, even if I correctly answered ninety percent of the test, passing this section would also depend on my teammates' score and the average score of the whole batch of genin.

I shrugged. 'Well, the die is cast.' I finished my test and relaxed back on my chair.

After an hour, the bearded proctor began collecting the tests and ushered us out of the classroom. There, Suguna and Kichiro were already waiting for me.

"How did you do?" he asked me.

"Yeah, fine." I answered nonchalantly. "Had some trouble with the anatomy part, but everything else was a piece of cake."

Suguna was standing next to him, chewing on her lips and holding her magatamas beds between her hands. Kichiro had his arm around her shoulders.

"You?" I asked them.

"Oh, we both did well. Nothing so complicated, Haou-sensei hammered most of that information into our heads the first year." Kichiro answered and Suguna nodded in agreement.

I turned to the multitude and began Observing whoever I found interesting.

There were five teams from Kusa, three teams from Ame, four teams from Iwa, two teams from Taki and us, the single team from Kumo. That meant 45 genin on 15 teams.

Kusa, as the locality, had the most participants and Iwa was second. I was impressed to find two teams from Taki, as I believed they allied with Konoha, but since they became more neutral after the war, they didn't seem to mind sending genin to this particular exam.

It was obvious that we, as the only team from Kumo, were at the receiving end of some of glares. Some ignored us and some were studying us, but some of the closest ones were shamelessly scowling in our direction.

Konoha and Suna didn't send any teams, nor did they to the last exam in Iwa as Sadako informed me. It wasn't unexpected. I believe they schedule their own independent chunin exams for themselves and their allies.

Most of the other genin in these exams weren't high leveled, and only a bunch of them looked like they could give me a run for my money. But all was a conjecture, there was nothing I could surely say about them.

Two teams from Iwa and one from Ame looked tough, based on their levels alone. The highest level genin was an Iwa kid named Shuzo Satake, level 38, and judging by his last name, he had two brothers in this exam. One of them sat beside me during the test.

That was all. I couldn't see, not from last names nor from their description, any kekkei genkai wielder or any member from a known clan among the participants.

I was halfway through my assessment when a group of jonin stood in front of the crowd. One voiced, "Silence and listen!" and proceeded to name all the genin teams that passed. "Senzo Satake, Sachi Satake and Orito Koide from Iwagakure; Kichiro Nagumo, Suguna and Kioshi Shirasu, from Kumogakure; Yoshitora Kane, Kinuye Kido and Umeka from Kusa..." He went on naming the nine teams that passed the first portion of the chunin exams: three Kusa teams, three Iwa teams, two Ame teams and us.

Some kids celebrated quietly, while others complained loudly when the jonin concluded his listing. They were _kindly_ removed the premises by the other proctors.

"Congratulations everyone," the jonin spoke up after the losing teams left the building, "the next part will begin immediately on training ground one." And without saying anything else, all the jonin shunshined away.

"Uuuh... where is training ground one by the way?" Kichiro asked me.

"Guess we'll have to ask around." Suguna answered more calmly, her magatama beads back to their resting place around her neck.

"It's one and a half miles to the east." I said reviewing the villages map in the corner of my vision. "There was a small map at the hotel." I added after I noticed the questioning they were giving me.

We ran and followed the map east, and reached the training grounds where we saw the crowd of genin begin to form again. The same jonin that announced the passing teams, now wearing a straw hat, stood again in front of the group.

"The next portion of the test," the proctor began to address the lot even if some teams still had to arrive, "will be a team-based survival test. Each team will responsible of a flag to defend, and to pass, you will need to procure two flags and exit the area before sunset of the third day. However, there are some rules." The proctor consecutively raised a finger accentuating each rule. "First, you're not allowed to tamper in any way nor move or remove your team's flag from its mast until the dawn of the second day. Second, leaving the area without the required flags will grant you a disqualification. And third, if any member of a team dies," he concluded with an eerie voice, "the entire team will be disqualified."

Murmurs erupted between the genin, but the proctor continued.

"One last thing, though. The exams will be held in the valley beyond the Emerald Mountains," he said pointing to the hills to the west, "then a proctor will guide each team to their corresponding flag. It'll be a two-hour run, so get going." He motioned us to follow the group of jonin, who began walking to the village's western entrance.

The silence only lasted about ten seconds, followed by immediate complains, grumbles and murmurs among each team, as they began to follow.

I focused on the problem at hand.

We had three days to collect two flags before leaving the area, similar to the Konoha's Forest of Death exam. But here there was a catch, we had to defend our flag during the first day without moving it. Scuffles would thrive as teams will send scouts to observe or capture an enemy flag, which might prove a good tactic; leaving some teammates in defense and sending the others on the attack to secure a flag on the first day, and then defending both until the next day. We'll have to keep an eye on counter attacks or an attack on the defending teammate.

After crossing the village's gates, we ran at low chunin speeds heading west to a modest mountain chain -there really wasn't anything like Kumo's mountains. The climb wasn't very taxing, but some of the kids were panting halfway through. That was a great way to take point out the physically weak genin. I Observed each of them and memorized their names.

This time, Kichiro and Suguna didn't tire much.

An hour and a half later we crossed the mountain pass onto the next valley, where we collectively gasped at the beautiful jade-green forest that emerged. It covered the whole valley, from the feet of this mountains to the base of the snowy peaks miles away to the west. From this height, I could even distinguish through the canopy several small streams meandering around the trees. Meandering waters always meant a low water table and flat terrain, a rare landscape to find so far from large water masses, specially this cold. It was clear that the whole valley had an extremely differentiated microclimate.

"Fuck this is beautiful!" A kunoichi from Ame exclaimed.

"Amazing! and so green." Another girl, this time from Iwa, added.

The jonin ushered us go move, and we headed down to some small buildings halfway down the slope of the mountains, passing a small signpost next to the trail.

"Quiet Forest.  
Only authorized shinobi beyond this point."

A small shiver crawling down my spine reminded me of the Forest of Death.

As the crowd of genin and the proctors approached the small block of buildings, another group of Kusa shinobi walked out to receive us.

"Each team will now follow an assigned jonin to their respective position." The proctor ordered, and soon enough a jonin approached my team and beckoned us to follow her.

Kichiro and Suguna were fine, if a little winded, from the two-hour jog, but just as fast and just as silent, we descended to the foot of the mountain and entered the forest.

The trees were not as massive as those shown in the Forest of Death, but they were numerous. Most of them were conifers -pines, spruces and firs- and scattered elms and small birch trees. The mossy groundcover and the shrubs and wildflowers scattered around added to the evergreen sensation of the forest. Only the small trees and oaks were bare of green, as they already shed their seasonal leaves. There was no trace of snow, but I could feel the cold slowly creeping into my body. The tall conifers already blocked a good part of the sunlight, and I wasn't looking forward to the cold nights inside this place. At least we carried our winter cloaks sealed in ours scrolls.

Not long after, we reached a grass clearing among the trees were sunrays touched the ground and some berries grew. In the center, a 6 feet metal pole protruding from a small stone altar-like structure stood.

The jonin kept quiet and climbed the pole with chakra. She unsealed a small piece red cloth and tied it to the top.

"There you go," she said after dropping down, "that's your flag. Do not move it or tamper with it until the sun comes out tomorrow."

"Thank you." Suguna replied.

The jonin smiled, made a peace sign and shunshined away.

It was already about five o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was already falling behind the western mountains, so we started with the basics.

We quickly double-checked our supplies: kunai, shuriken, traps, scrolls, camping gear, exploding notes, etc. We were all set up. We also had enough food to last for about a week, more if I didn't eat.

"I'll go find a good place to set up camp." Kichiro began. "Camping under the flag wouldn't be a good idea and we better have some trees nearby to protect us in case of an ambush. Kioshi, you and Suguna should start laying traps around the flag before we lose daylight to deter other competitors from attacking, that would be the best way to at least slow them down. Make them as hidden as you can, but maybe leave a couple obvious ones for them to think we are not good at laying traps; maybe they'll get arrogant and-"

"Yeah yeah, Kichi. We got it." Suguna gave him a peck in the cheeks.

'So fucking cute.'

"The forest is about 10 miles across and wide. If there are 9 teams around, that means that there should be around three miles between every flag if they are equally spaced." I commented. "That's too close for my liking, so don't go too far Kichiro, we still have to make lunch. If I sense anything, I'll let you both know."

Suguna and I got to work and began laying down traps.

I was hiding some explosive traps around de outer rims of the clearing when a notification rattled me up.

Ding!

**Airborne Toxin detected!  
[Resisted.]**

I opened my eyes wide and jumped to my feet, scanning the area. We were alone, no metal signal whatsoever around us, only Kichiro's some feet away.

On the lower right corner of my vision, a small red window was blinking. I selected it.

**Status Effects:**

**Long acting neural toxin [Resisted].  
\- A strong acting airborne toxin secreted by the Suigiku flower that provokes hallucinations and psychosis.  
Effects commence after one to three hours of exposure; psychosis begins after a 36-hour exposure. **

"Fuck!"

"What?!" Suguna leaped to her feet, taking out a kunai and scanning the area.

"There's poison in the air, a hallucinatory toxin." I dryly commented through clenched teeth. "Get Kichiro!"

Suguna scampered to get her boyfriend.

'What kind of forest is this?' I wondered. If there was a toxin in the air, this test had just gotten far more difficult. It didn't matter if it was a _slow_ acting kind, every genin in the forest will be hallucinating in a matter of hours, and by the end of the third day...

"Fuck!" At least I was immune, because of the Gamer's Mind perk or my Poison Resistance skill I wasn't sure, but my teammates could start hallucinating soon.

"What happened?" Kichiro arrived with Suguna, looking at me worriedly.

"There's a toxin in the air," I answered, "secreted by one of the plants in this forest. It's a hallucinatory poison that will yield psychotic effects after a long exposure."

Kichiro's face morphed to a worry expression. "Can you make an antidote?"

"I'll need to identify the plant first, but even the simplest of poisons require complex processes and unexpected ingredients, so I don't believe I can create an antidote, not here and not fast enough" I confessed.

"What do we do?" Suguna asked with her hand around her magatama beads.

"Is any of you seeing or hearing or sensing anything out of the ordinary?" I asked.

"H-How could we know?" Suguna's eyes glanced around.

"Use your experience." I began. "This place is not so different from the Land of Lighting's forest near the borders, if you _feel_ anything out of the ordinary, tell the others. Hallucinations might be visual, auditory, olfactory or tactile; they can even mess with your equilibrium or your thermal regulation. Work from your experience." I was looking at them dead-serious. "I've studied with poisons and worked on my immunity: this will not affect me. Any suspicious symptom you talk to me, ok?"

Suguna was trembling, and Kichiro just hugged her close to his chest.

"We need to get out of here _tonight_." I concluded.

"But how? We'll fail the exams!" Suguna looked between Kichiro and me.

Kichiro stood motionless holding her hand for a moment. "We need to get two flags, right?" he asked me.

I caught on what he was implying, a detail that didn't escaped me but I reserved for later querying. "They never said one of the flags had to be our own."

Kichiro nodded. "We are closer to the northern borders of the forest, but we can't be sure if there are any other teams in that direction. Better go the way we came." He pondered for a second before continuing. "We have to move now while we still have light. We are about 7 miles from entrance of the forest, we are bound to find other teams that way. Pack up, we leave immediately."

Suguna took a deep breath and jumped to action.

We left the traps as they were, packed what little we unpacked and left our flag behind. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

We ran through the forest at top speed while I focused on my sensing.

"I'm hearing birds." Suguna commented through her scarf. I wasn't sure if it made any difference, but I told them to wrap their scarfs around their mouths. It _may_ filter the toxin.

"You're beginning to hallucinate. I haven't heard birds or any other animal whatsoever inside this forest." I responded. "Ignore ambient sounds unless I say otherwise."

Two miles later, I signaled my teammates to stop. 'Five hundred feet to the north east. Three strong signals and various static small signals.' The metal clumped together were obviously from kunai and hitai ates, the others, probably traps.

'Approach, assess.' Kichiro signaled back. If he wasn't convoluting his orders, he was dead serious.

We moved silently and stopped about a hundred feet from a Kusa team. They were crouching around a clearing. As ours, their flag stood at the top a flagpole at the center.

"I'm telling you, there's a whistling sound coming from the forest!" One of the Kusa genin complained while trying to dispel a genjutsu. "Kai!" He was wearing a blue jumpsuit, a sand colored cloak covering most of his body and a straw hat over his head.

**Yui Ichikawa  
[Neutral]**

"Whistling? Those are birds! What is wrong with you?" A black short-haired genin answered back, still installing a trap at the base of the flagpole. He wore black baggy pants and shirt and a brown cloak over it; a thick purple rope belt tied everything up. He reminded me of Orochimaru someway.

**Tadataka Hino  
[Neutral]**

"Birds? Wha- guys just, please keep it down. We have to finish the traps." The third genin, a red-haired girl with her Kusa straw hat resting at her side and wearing another brown cloak with the Kusa symbol emblazoned on the back, whispered to her teammates from her own trap.

**Ochiyo Sumida  
[Neutral]**

They were already starting to hallucinate.

The sun was setting, and temperature was dropping fast.

'Plan?' I signaled to Kichiro.

He looked worriedly to Suguna, who was crouching next to him, holding her magatama beads on her right hand and mumbling a prayer. 'We cannot risk the traps, and they won't come out.' He signaled us.

'Use poisoned kunai to disrupt them, I'll go with wind to blow them and the traps away.' I answered back. A simple poison might add more disruption to the equation.

Kichiro nodded in agreement. 'Red, keep to the sides and enter if you see the opportunity. Blue, what poison do we use?' In sign language there were no signs for names, so Suguna was Red, Kichiro was Green and I was Blue.

'Red-labeled vials. Coat the blades. Don't cut yourself.' I signaled Kichiro.

The Basic and Intermediate toxins were the only fast acting poisons I had, and my teammates weren't proficient enough in stealth to hide waiting for another toxin to take a hold on the enemy.

Kichiro got to work and quickly turned back to me with eight kunai dripping the rose liquid, the Basic Toxin that would provoke sever pain in wounds that lasts some seconds. It was fast acting, in contrast to the paralytic agent I had reserved for myself.

He took a deep breath and launched the kunai in pairs in quick succession. Two hit the straw-hat wearing genin in the back, one hit the black-haired kid in the shoulder and the red-haired girl, who was still crouching arming a trap, received one on her side.

All three stumbled, grumbled or hissed and tried to recover, but just as the girl tried to stand up, I finished the hand seals.

Tiger, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, Snake: 'Great Breakthrough.'

**-80 Chakra.**

Wind tore through the clearing, picking chunks or earth from the ground and quickly engulfing the Kusa genin. The three were sent tumbling backwards, and traps were activated or destroyed by the passing winds.

**Hit! Critical x5.  
480 DMG.  
Stun applied.  
Severe bleeding applied. **

**Hit!  
90 DMG **

**Hit!  
130 DMG.  
Stun applied.**

**Wind Style: Great Breakthrough increased by 1.**

When the winds passed, I saw the results of the heavy powered jutsu through the settling dust.

The red-haired girl crashed against the flagpole and fell on her side while the kid in the blue jumpsuit ended up against a tree at the other end of the clearing.

The black-haired boy landed on his back and rolled to the side, trying to stand up and holding his poisoned left shoulder with his right arm. He was looking frantically between his teammates and in my direction. Suguna shunshined behind him from the sides just as he pulled a kunai from his pocket, and she hit him in the back of the neck with the blunt edge of her sword. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Kichiro and I shunshined to the clearing and quickly inspected the area. I cautiously crouched beside the red-haired girl. She was bleeding profusely from her side and her elbow was bent the other way, she also had at least a concussion. She would bleed to death in a few hours.

"How's she?" Suguna asked me while scanning our surroundings with her sword drawn.

"She's bleeding badly."

"Should we...?" Suguna tentatively turned to me.

"No, we should patch her up, at least it will give her a fighting chance. They'll wake up in a couple of hours I hope"

"I'm on it." Suguna said.

I turned to Kichiro, who was inspecting the area.

"The other two are unconscious, just some flesh wounds." He said to me through squinted eyes. He was pale, almost white as snow.

"How are you holding up?" I asked worried.

"I feel dizzy."

We were running out of time. "Let's move," I ushered, "I'll get the flag." I jumped up the flagpole and untied their red flag. I half expected some sort of trap or something, but nothing happened. "Let's go!"

We ran for another ten minutes with me on point, sensing for any metal signature inside my range, when I heard Suguna yell at me.

"Wait! Kichi? What's wrong, Kichi?"

I turned back to find Kichiro on his knees, frantically untying the scarf around his neck. He immediately vomited what little was in his stomach.

"Please Kichi, what's wrong?" Suguna asked while trying to comfort Kichiro. "Is it the poison?" she voiced turning to me.

"It must be affecting his balance. Fuck." I stood next to them, keeping an eye on the trees. "How are you feeling, Suguna?"

"The birds are getting louder and I'm hearing whistling and voices around. I have trouble focusing on other sounds, so I'm trying to ignore them altogether. But it's hard to hear you properly." Suguna answered while rubbing Kichiro's back. He was still gagging, but nothing was coming out.

"Fuck, this will only get worse."

"Leave," Kichiro managed to whisper between heaves, "take her and get out."

"What? Kichi, what did you say? What did he say?" Suguna was on the verge of tears, looking at me through pale, frozen eyes.

I made up my mind.

"Suguna, carry Kichiro on your back and follow me. Focus only on myself and my signs. We still can find another flag on our way out."

She steeled herself and nodded, a determined look on her eyes. She first tore two small pieces of cloth from her red shirt with a kunai and plugged her ears. 'Clever girl'. She then picked Kichiro up and secured him on her back, making sure he was held tight.

"Do not fall asleep." I said to Kichiro.

We continued our way east, running at fast as we could considering my teammates' state of mind.

I estimated another twenty minutes to the forest's exit when I sensed another signature.

'Stop.' I signaled over my shoulder and turned around. 'Enemy camp one thousand feet to the north-east.'

'What do we do?' Suguna mouthed at me. Her hands were busy carrying Kichiro and she didn't seem to trust the volume of her voice.

'Go into the forest and hide yourselves.' I answered. 'I'll be back, and I will find you. Do you understand?'

She looked at me unsure, but nevertheless nodded and turned around into the forest.

I had to do this fast, the clouds barely shone with the fleeting colors of the dusk and temperature was dropping; in a couple of hours, it would drop below freezing point. But that wasn't my primary concern. If everything went according to plan, we'll be out of this fucking forest before that and this was nothing like Kumo's winters. No, my primary concern was doing this fast and avoiding a prolonged fight.

I arrived at the back of their camp, undetected by the two genin that sat around three small tents with scarfs around their mouths.

**Senzo Satake  
[Neutral]**

**Samon Satake  
[Neutral]**

Those were two of the Iwa brothers.

Their camp was at the edge of the clearing, where their last teammate was tied up to the stone base of the flagpole, gagged with some cloth in his mouth and unmoving.

**Orito Koide  
[Neutral]**

"We need to get this over with." The first of the brothers, a grey short-haired boy whispered. He was tall for his age, just like his brother.

"And do what? Fail the exams?" The second brother, a bald kid answered.

They were both wearing thick brown cloaks covering most of their figure except their headbands on their foreheads. Their eyes moved between their teammate and the surrounding forest.

A small gray icon started flashing in the lower right corner of my vision.

'What?'

**Stealth Increased by 1.**

'Not now!'

"You saw what happened to Orito," Senzo continued, "and I'm already seeing weird fucking lights around."

"We wait." The bald kid hissed back.

Samon, the bald kid, was one level higher than me, and the other two were two levels below. Their 'camp' was just those three small tents stretched between some trees, there wasn't even a fire lit. They were taking precautions and were on the lookout.

I silently summoned four poisoned kunai from my inventory, this time coated with the Intermediate Paralytic Agent, and took a deep breath. If the paralytic agent entered their bloodstream, it would incapacitate them in about ten seconds.

I aimed at their shoulder joint, it would disable their arms and the poison would begin its work. It was a gamble, I couldn't know if they were wearing any sort of leather armor that would mitigate penetration, but at least I knew they weren't wearing a mesh mail underneath their cloaks.

My aiming was on point and the four kunai pierced their shoulders.

**Hit!  
200 Dmg.  
Target has been poisoned. [Intermediate Paralytic Agent]**

**Hit!  
200 Dmg.  
Target has been poisoned. [Intermediate Paralytic Agent]**

**Hit!  
200 Dmg.  
Target has been poisoned. [Intermediate Paralytic Agent]**

**Hit!  
200 Dmg.  
Target has been poisoned. [Intermediate Paralytic Agent]**

They both yelled and rolled to the side to take cover behind the trees.

"Fuck!" I heard one of them yell, "Senzo, we are you ok?!"

"They got my arms, can barely move them. Agh shit." The other one, Senzo, hissed back.

I noticed Orito peeking his head from behind the tree, gazing around in my direction, but the sunlight was almost gone and the undergrowth hid me well.

I summoned fifty kunai and began throwing them in their general direction with my magnet release. It was a silent way to keep them cowering behind the trees while the poison worked its magic.

"Shit! Orito, use... use th-" He tried to hiss an order, but I sensed him dropping to the forest floor.

Ding!

**Target is paralyzed.**

Ding!

**Target is paralyzed. **

Tiger, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, Snake: 'Great Breakthrough.'

**-30 Chakra.**

Although the jutsu was much less powered, it blew a path open, activating some kunai traps I sensed hidden among the long grass. The tied-up genin was buffeted by the wind but he didn't react.

I moved quickly and jumped to the pole to grab the flag, then moved to the paralyzed genin.

I tied the them by the hands, elbows, ankles and knees with ninja wire. The effects of the toxin would only last a couple of minutes more and I didn't want them following us on our way out of this hell hole. They'll free themselves in a matter of hours, these kids were trained shinobi after all.

One of them, Senzo, glared at me during the whole process. If his mouth weren't paralyzed, I bet he would have been snarling at me. 'Tough luck, kid.'

I hurried back to Suguna and Kichiro, the only other metal signatures in the in my range. I shunshined in front of them with my hands raised. She was sitting in the ground, hugging a faintly wheezing Kichiro on her lap. She jolted up and looked up at me with teary eyes and a clenched jaw. The girl was pissed.

Good.

'I have it, let's go.'

We finally began our final stretch out of this godforsaken place. Suguna tried to keep up, her eyes fixed on me but showing evident signs of distress. From time to time, she clenched her eyes, almost losing her step. The hallucinations must be getting stronger by the minute, I guessed.

Not long after, under a clouded night sky and almost no light save for the full moon's that shone through, the trees began to thin out. I sensed rather than saw the small building block a mile away.

We were safe.

"Ah," one of the jonin keeping an eye on the forest nonchalantly commented when we arrived at the outskirts of the first building, "do you have the flags?"

Suguna collapsed on her knees, laying Kichiro down and hugging him so hard that I feared his eyes would pop out. But Kichiro smiled, even through his closed eyes and constant heaving, he knew Suguna was there with him.

I plopped down on my butt. I wasn't tired per se, my SP points were barely spent, but I was stressed out. Taking a deep breath, I unsealed both red flags and held them for the jonin.

He approached me and inspected them for a second. "Perfect, you are the first team to arrive; earlier than we thought." He took one look at my teammates and yelled back to the buildings. "Yo, Tomomi, bring the antidote! We have our first team!"

* * *

"The roots of the same plant can be distilled to produce the antidote," a Kusa jonin named Iemitsu was explaining me, "it has to be mixed with Yatsude sap beforehand and left to ferment for two days. The better way to apply it is by boiling it and inhaling the vapors. The toxin's effects normally wear out in half an hour."

I was sitting near a campfire at the center of the building blocks with a handful of jonin and some chunin. We just got out of that forest two hours ago and this Iemitsu guy was rambling about the Quiet Forest in such a proud way.

It was all part of the test, obviously. The Suigiku plant that grows in this forest was highly toxic, producing that hallucinogenic pollen that covered the whole valley. Even animals were affected, and only certain endemic insects were able to survive inside the valley. There was a reason civilians were banned from entering the area. The forest was also the home of some very coveted plants and herbs used in poison making -no surprise there- and other medical uses. Still, only jonin ventured inside to collect them.

The Kusa shinobi that came with us had instructions to scour the area tomorrow morning and rescue the genin that weren't going to make it. The rules still applied, if a team couldn't procure two flags, they'll be disqualified.

"Your teammates got a really severe reaction to the toxin, though. It's short of a miracle you made it out there with two flags." Iemitsu patted my back. "Congrats for that kid. For a Kumo kid, you resisted the poison very well. And so young!"

Motherfuckers.

Suguna was crying her eyes out and restraining herself from stabbing someone when the medic arrived with a pot of boiling fluid and instructed us to inhale the vapors. We had to hold Kichiro's head over the pot for him to get his dose. After a while, the hallucinations diminished and Suguna unplugged her ears, finally relaxing her shoulders. Kichiro opened his eyes and sat up, only to be crushed again by a wailing hug from Suguna. They were shown to their bedrooms shortly after, with a promise of feeling better after some good sleep, and they slept for eighteen hours straight. Most of the strain wasn't physical, but psychological.

I inhaled the vapors too, just to test the gamer's system.

Ding!

**Antidote for the Suiguki toxin detected.**

Meh. The Resisted status effect was still there, so the thing was still in my blood. That antidote only dealt with the toxin effects.

During the night, the Iwa team with the third Satake brother arrived holding two flags. They also had to carry one of their members out of the forest. He was bleeding badly from a hastily covered gash on his left leg and had his eyes blindfolded. They grumbled about the toxin, the heaving and the lights, and how long it took them to realize the loophole in the rules.

A frantic Kusa team exited the forest shortly after and dropped to the ground a few steps later. They didn't carry any flags, they just bolted out of the place.

The next morning, an Ame team nonchalantly arrived waving two flags. Those respirators they wore must have been very handy.

But that was all, no other soul left the forest that day, and by afternoon the jonin and chunin began patrolling the forest, rescuing any team out of commission and offering help to anyone willing to give up.

Those sane enough gave up, others had to be pulled away by force.

A kid from Iwa died during a scuffle, her teammates were scattered around following nonexistent black figures seeking revenge. They were found miles apart with bloodshot eyes and punching trees and pouncing on their own shadows.

A Kusa boy died by the hands of his own teammates, they were too psychotic to explain what happened.

By the end of the third day, when all the genin were accounted for, we left back to Kusagakure.

. . . . . - - - . - . . - . - - - . - - . . .

His cane tapped against the granite tiles.

He hated that sound. But his body wasn't what it used to be. Not since the second war, not since he lost his father and had to leave everything he loved -little as it was- behind.

He shook his head, shooing those bad memories away. He survived, he found a better life, a much calmer one. A comfortable albeit monotonous existence.

"Doctor Kumagaya, please." He said to the nurse in the front desk.

They showed him to a small white room with a single examination bed and two plain chairs. He sat on one and not too long after, an old man wearing a white medical garb entered the room.

"Yataro, how are you feeling today?" The doctor asked him, checking the notepad he always carried around when visiting patients.

"Hello, Uedo. Nothing new. How are you?"

"Fine, fine. I'm going to be a grandfather again; can you believe it?" The doctor answered without taking his eyes from his notes.

Yataro half-heartedly smiled. "That's great. Family keeps getting bigger..." He hated when other talked about family, one of the many things he couldn't get during his life. He always tried to smile anyway. People loved to talk about their families, the sweet things and the sour things, but it always stung the same way.

An uncomfortable silence ensued, only interrupted by the footsteps of other medical staff wandering around outside the examination room.

Doctor Uedo finally scribbled something down on his notepad and turned to look at his old friend with his brows knitted together.

"That bad, eh?" Yataro interjected.

"Just as expected, Yataro. We are not getting any younger, and you are a special case."

He smiled a bittersweet smile. He wasn't a special case, he just got lucky, they got lucky.

Doctor Uedo plopped down on the other chair, lounging back and moving his neck around.

"You know," he began, "Sadako's been the leading student here. She's taking everything like a duck to water. I'll have her start on the Mystical Palm soon."

That was the closest thing he had for a family, Yataro realized. Sadako and Kioshi. It never ceased to amaze him how were they able to put a smile, a genuine smile, on his face.

Uedo noted the smile. "She's been asking a lot about the Shirasu boy. She was part of the staff that checked on him after their mission to that Village. Ha," he laughed, "she even asked to see his medical file."

Yataro perked up and gazed questioningly at the doctor.

"Don't worry, we still don't keep a file about him. I personally burn everything that's written down about him, not even his sensei's medical file names him in any way." Ueda calmed him before Yataro started asking more questions. "You're a good guy, Yataro. I can see you care for him, for both."

"What did she ask?"

"How he came back without a scratch. She's a curious girl, and I think she knows something is off, and I think she knows we know. She'll figure it out eventually, you know?"

Yataro nodded. Sadako was smart. Maybe a little lighthearted for the shinobi life, but she was smart and loved Kioshi like a little brother. "Well, he's special..."

"Indeed. I've heard about his kekkei genkai and I know doesn't add up. But leave it at that. I might be a doctor now, but I'm not protected by the shinobi council like you and we both know what misplaced information can do to us."

Yataro bitterly nodded.

"And about your test results, they are what we were expecting. It's running its course." He took a small bottle of pills from his pocket and tossed it to Yataro. "Those will easy the worst of it for now. Come back in three months." He stood up and walked to the door. "I have to help my daughter look for a bigger house now. Luckily, prices have plummeted this last years." He added from the door frame. "I'll see you around."

The doctor left the room. He had other patients to see, other kids to check on and a jonin in the intensive care unit with severe burns on his right leg from a 'training exercise'.

'Indeed.' Yataro answered in thought looking at the bottle of pills in his hands. The housing market was on an all-time low, people were leaving the village to the capital. The closing of the iron mines up north, the low crop yield during the last decade, the increasing scuffles along the borders... things were looking grim.

He knew it wasn't long before whatever was brewing in the horizon came to pass, but he didn't worry too much; he has survived worse and lived to tell the tale.

But judging from the worsening trembling of his left hand, he also feared he might not have enough time.

* * *

_Author's note:_

_No matter how many times I rewrote this chapter, it still reads a little slow for my taste. I guess I really like worldbuilding...  
_

_[Edit: Corrections of small mistakes like mentioning the three tails instead of the two tails, and mixing up Yugakure with Taki. Some typo corrections.]_

_Real life is looking grim now.  
_

_Hope you're doing well, stay safe!  
__Thank you all for your reviews and comments! Holler if you see a mistake or a typo.  
_


	11. Chapter 11: Gladiator

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters._

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Gladiator.**

The museum was just a building with seemingly nothing of importance. The guards were civilians, and a single man, genin level, stood at the entrance, his eyes judging new visitors.

Such inattention and lack of security could be attributed to the exhibited items having no real value -besides historical -and most of the artifacts being fakes and copies. I Observed most of them the second time I went inside, and the majority had a [Fake] tag beside their names. One exception, thankfully, was the letter I was to steal.

I tried to be as inconspicuous as I could, memorizing everything during that second visit and keeping an eye for shinobi patrols from a tea house across the street for days. From time to time, a chunin patrol prowled through the roofs of the museum with no clear schedule. They never roamed the area during the afternoons, though.

Another important thing: there were no cameras. Not a single one. From what I could remember from the chunin exams in Konoha, there was a set of cameras around the tower at the center of the Forest of Death, so that technology did exist in this world.

That calmed most of my worries, but still, I shouldn't use any shinobi skill or jutsu. The visitors were mostly civilians and I clearly wasn't; taking off your hitai-ate while visiting foreign shinobi villages was frowned upon at least. But I wasn't the only non-Kusa genin to enter the museum, one of the Iwa genin that failed the second part of the exams visited the museum too.

The day before the third phase of the exams I prepared myself for the task.

I entered the museum with the afternoon crowd and sauntered around, looking at the exhibitions. Nearing closing time, when the civilian guards would start ushering people to leave, I neared the small wooden display case that rested over its small table on the far corner of the poorly lit east wing of the building.

When I heard the guards beginning their task and the lonely old woman next to me turned and took a step towards the exit, I sealed the display case whole in my inventory. All of it. It wasn't even secured to the table. Fortunately, sealing things into my inventory didn't make any sound or smoke, unlike a scroll.

"Does this mean it's closing time?" I caught up to the old woman.

"Oh, yes dear." She smiled at me.

We exited together and I headed back to the hotel.

**Quest Completed!  
When morning is just a few hours away.**

**Steal the Nidaime Tsuchikage's letter.**

**Rewards:  
-**

'Okay, done. No sweat.' I calmed down my breathing in the way to the hotel. Everything went alright, I supposed. I completed the quest without any jutsu or misdirection. I first planned to start a fight with a genjutsu or something or fake a small explosion and steal the letter during the commotion, but that would be too suspicious. Shinobi were meticulous with their investigations. 'Tomorrow Saturday, the museum will open after mid-morning. I'll be at the arena by then.'

XXXXXXXXXXXX

That night, the night before the finals, Suguna, Kichiro and I finally sat down to discuss the upcoming fights at a nearby restaurant.

This past two weeks were leisure ones. We didn't train and Haou-sensei left us to our discretion. Kichiro and Suguna spent most of their time together, strolling around the village and sampling every restaurant they encountered. We barely talked and discussed about the upcoming tournament, they wanted some time to cool off after the near traumatic second phase. Understandable. I even visited a book shop looking for a poison's book. Sure enough, I didn't find a single non-historical one.

But we had to plan ahead. One team from Iwa and one from Ame qualified for the finals. We could face any of them in any order.

"Iwa first," Suguna began. She was sitting across the table, next to Kichiro, "One was gravely injured after the forest, the other two looked fine. The bulky one might be a taijutsu expert, but none carried a sword or any obvious weapons though."

"There's little else. We have to expect some earth ninjutsu," I added having a sip of tea. Tea in Kusa was damn good, but shouldn't be steeped for too long or it might get a bitter aftertaste. I bought a full crate -that would last me a year, I hoped- of the strongest I could find. All the floral and honey notes alleged by the local producers were always to be taken with a grain of salt, of course.

"Ame is the wild card. There's almost no recent information from the Land of Rain since the third war, they closed their borders tight. We know they always use their respirators and that they helped with the forest's poison so we can assume they have a good hand with said poisons and we'll have to plan accordingly. I wouldn't want to face one of them and get poisoned. Maybe if we could know in advance what poisons they use we could-"

"Kichi, you're galloping your words again." Suguna chastised him while stealing a bite from his dango.

"Ame shinobi are known to use different toxins yes, but there's no way to know which ones they might use, less prepare for them all," I added, "I have something you could use if things go wrong."

"We should expect low level earth jutsu from the Iwa genin, but besides you Kichi, we don't have an elemental advantage."

"There isn't much to discuss there. Maybe water jutsu from the Ame genin?" I wondered. We were dealing with chunin-level genin, so maybe a few elemental jutsu.

"Well, what about taijutsu, anything there to discuss?" Kichiro asked.

"Not much. We know the basics of fighting genin from other villages and we were forbidden from spying on other teams..." I answered.

The conversation was mostly meaningless, but I already had a plan regarding my fights. If the Raikage wants a gladiator fight, I'll give him one. I'll bring glory to Kumo.

* * *

The next morning, we were escorted to Kusagakure's main arena, two miles away from the village.

"So, sensei. Any words of encouragement or last-minute advice from that high place?"

"No. You are experienced enough, you are adaptable. You'll get promoted." He cut my smirking comment without pause.

'No sense of humor there.'

The walk was a leisure one. Suguna chatted with Kichiro, Haou-sensei was silent, and I lazily looked around.

Suguna diched her skirt and mesh armor for a pair of burgundy pants that morning, she was also wearing a similar shirt that covered her midriff. The cold and still air and the faint morning fog chilled, and her heavy winter coat might prove more of a hindrance.

Kichiro and I wore the same outfit as always, his sleeveless dark-gray coat closed in front. A pair of black fingerless gloves were the only new addition to his attire.

My own dark-gray coat was also closed. For the exams though, I carried another kunai pouch on my left leg stacked with kunai and shuriken and two small sealing scrolls. One empty and the other containing a hundred assorted kunai and shuriken intended for the last show. Some poisoned kunai waited in my inventory, and those I could summon from inside my pockets or the pouches.

The grass surrounding the dirt path began to waver. Green gave way to pale tones, yellowish bushes and some scattered russet-leaved trees. The smell of moss and dank grass gradually faded. This part of the country, even so close to the village, was evidently drier than the green grasslands we traversed weeks before. We crossed hills and small mounts during this trip, but no mountain range. This contrasting microclimate could only mean a sudden drop in underground water levels, a lack of nearby rivers and probably dry winds even during the cold season.

Soon enough, we approached the venue. A collection of colored tents already dotted the surrounding tan pastures; different food, drink and souvenir stands lured customers in. The permeating aromas were strong enough to taste the different spices in your mouth and mask the prevailing smell of dust. A crowd of civilians -and the sporadic shinobi- toured the area, laughing, eating and drinking. A big red booth operated as a gambling kiosk, where a number of shady-looking civilians and shinobi clumped around and yelled their opinion.

Beyond the tents, a tall stone structure rose against the pastures and the snowy mountains in the horizon, an unnerving contrast to the colorful tents. The gray building was about sixty feet tall and two hundred wide, broken by little windows ordered in such a fashion it somehow reminded me of medieval castles sans the towers.

"Have you ever visited this arena?" Kichiro asked sensei as we made our way among the tents.

Haou-sensei shook his head in answer.

Kichiro's hand lashed out and grabbed Suguna's collar. "Nope."

"But Kichi!" Suguna was fighting against the hold. "There's boar meat in the menu there! And dumplings! And I can smell dango somewhere around there! And-"

"No. We had a caloric breakfast and you know your stomach." He turned her around and hugged her by the hips. "After the fights, we can have all the dumplings you want." Suguna huffed, but silently agreed.

I smiled, those two were so freaking cute. It was somewhat unsettling seeing thirteen-year-old kids getting so romantic. Sometimes I forget that this world makes kids grow up fast; some girls marry at sixteen by their own choice and no one bats an eye. Still, most kunoichi delay their motherhood until their late twenties and neither parent take too much time to raise the kid. Love, apparently, was a fleeting thing between shinobi, and most didn't care about tying the knot. It wasn't uncommon -as you might have expected from a seemingly conservative society- to see same sex couples around. Shinobi never batted an eye, only civilians had something to say.

Sooner than later, we busted through the thickening crowd and were greeted by a straw-hat wearing Kusa jonin at the stadium's entrance.

"Participants?" She asked. Haou-sensei assented for us. "Take the right door and follow the signs to the competitor's booth."

After climbing seven sets of stone steps, we opened the labeled door to our booth and were greeted by the winter sun shining brightly from the south-east. The stadium was huge. Not as huge as the Konoha field I remembered from the manga, but impressive nonetheless for a small village.

The arena itself was a circular area of almond-toned dusty soil a hundred feet in diameter, barely frayed with patches of ochre grass and some dark rock outcroppings. Tall 25-feet stone walls surrounded the arena. The stone seating, beginning on top of the walls and towering another 10 feet over, circled half the western perimeter, offering a clear view of the fighting area below. Civilians were already pouring inside filling the empty seating. Some shinobi stood among, keeping an eye on the incoming crowd.

Our contestant's booth was diametrically opposite of the civilian seating, part of a similar albeit smaller elevated structure at the north-eastern edge of the arena. The 'booth' was more precisely some reserved seats isolated by a three-feet-tall stone partition. I took some time perching on the metal railing at the edge, Observing the few people seating in this section

Kusa shinobi, some arguably wealthy civilians and, on the seats at the back end and overseeing both the civilian and the wealthy sections, a small area sheltered by a linen awning extending between wooden pillars stood. There, in front of some Kusa jonin, the Kusakage sat stern-faced and flaunting his robes. To his left, a low leveled jonin from Amegakure and to his right, wearing his inscribed eyepatch and peculiar hat, sat Dodai.

'Observe.'

**Name: Dodai  
Title: Jonin of Kumogakure.  
Level: 102  
Age: 46  
Dodai is a jonin from Kumogakure. He was the Sandaime Raikage's right hand and acts as advisor for the Yondaime and Kumo's ANBU force. A methodical and skilled shinobi, Dodai is regarded as one of the Land of Lightning's key war assets.****  
Relationship level: Good.**

I should have guesses the Raikage wouldn't come to an exam in a small village, but I had the minuscule hope of seeing either Hanzo or Pein. On second thought, Pain killed Hanzo during the third war, right?

"I'll be by Dodai's side. Make us proud." Haou-sensei waved over his shoulders as he nonchalantly turned around and exited the booth.

A few minutes later, two Iwa genin entered.

'Observe.'

**Name: Shuzo Satake  
Title: Genin of Iwagakure.  
Level: 38  
Age: 13  
Shuzo is a genin from Iwagakure. The middle sibling, he's admired by his younger brother and respected by the oldest. He's considered a genius among his age group and it's his second time taking the exams. ****  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

Shuzo, the third Satake sibling whose brothers I stole the flag from during the second part of the exams, was a tallish and lean boy with dark-gray dense and messy hair, tied up in a low ponytail that ended just above his shoulder blades. He wore olive green pants and steel toed combat boots, and a loose-fitted short-sleeved gray shirt with mesh armor underneath covering his arms down to the elbow. Interestingly enough, he also wore brown leather shoulder guards and had the kanji for Strength tattooed on his right forearm. His expression was set between a serene smile and a smug face, something that piqued my curiosity.

**Name: Kouki Taga  
Title: Genin of Iwagakure.  
Level: 33  
Age: 12  
Kouki is a genin from Iwagakure. Coming from a clan of strong shinobi tradition, his decision to enter Iwagakure's shinobi academy was expected. Living under the shadow of his sisters and other members of the clan, Kouki's life has been a stressful one. ****  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

Kouki wore earth colored pants that ended above the shins and a same colored long-sleeved fitted shirt. On top of all, he wore a crimson red haori. Like his teammate, he wore his hitai ate over his brow. His short and ruffled dark brown hair glistened under the morning sun.

"Good morning." We were cordially saluted by Shuzo.

"Hey," I answered. Suguna only nodded back.

Kichiro, nosy as he was, seemed to have lost his fight against proper decorum.

"Hey, what happened to you guys in the forest? How's your other teammate? He's not competing, right?" he blurted out.

"Eh. He's okay, he's not competing."

"What about the fore-"

"Kichi! Stop pestering other people."

Kichiro mouthed an apologize to his girlfriend and shut up. Shuzo made a dismissing motion with his hands, but stayed silent, admiring the arena along his teammate who ignored the scene.

Maybe Kichiro was fishing for information or he was honestly curious.

Five minutes later, the wooden door opened once again and the team of Ame genin entered the booth.

'Observe.'

**Name: Kitahachi Tanyi  
Title: Genin of Amegakure.  
Level: 35  
Age: 12  
Kitahachi is a genin from Amegakure. Orphaned at young age, his uncle took him in and supported, albeit unwillingly, his entrance to Amegakure's shinobi academy. His tortuous life left him resenting all other shinobi.  
Relationship level: Bad.**

Kitahachi had the classical smug face and chest-puffed-out attitude expected from his bio. That, combined with his dark eyes, lustrous black hair combed back and prominent nose, gave him an aura of antagonist that bordered on cliché. He was not tall though, shorter than everyone in the booth -except me, of course. His blue t-shirt and gloves, and his black too-short shorts took away something from that image, too. His respirator -technically that was a rebreather I supposed- had one small canister sticking out to the left of his face. Uncomfortable: maybe. Useful: no doubt about it.

**Name: Eitoku Saionji  
Title: Genin of Amegakure.  
Level: 36  
Age: 11  
Eitoku is a genin from Amegakure. Born from a civilian mother and an unknown shinobi parent, he entered the shinobi academy to escape poverty. His talent with water transformation incited his selection as a chunin candidate.  
Relationship level: Neutral. **

The second kid looked like the standard Ame shinobi from Naruto's chunin exams. Respirator: check. Bandages around some part of his body: check. Weird jumpsuit: check. Yes, he wore a bleached yellow jumpsuit tied in the front like someone stitched it up, Amegakure's symbol painted in black over his chest. Instead of a hitai ate, bandages held his ruffled copper-red hair -similar to Kichiro's hair- and covered his left eye. His respirator had a canister sticking to either sides.

**Name: Naoya Shinyama  
Title: Genin of Amegakure.  
Level: 33  
Age: 12  
Naoya is a genin from Amegakure. Raised by his older sister after their parents were publicly executed for supporting Hanzo the Salamander, Naoya grew up polishing his shinobi arts in hope of some day run away from the country.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

'Huh?' Well, that confirmed it. Pein already controlled Amegakure.

Naoya was also a tallish guy -as tall as Shuzo- and had brown eyes and brown knotted hair parted in the middle. Underneath his closed dark blue coat, he wore standard shinobi attire, loose fitting black pants and shirt. His hands were bandaged and wore black combat boots. A distinctive umbrella peaked from his back. If I had to guess, that was a senbon-filled weapon. As Eitoku, his black rebreather had two small canisters sticking from the sides.

"Ah, here we are. Finally, I'm aching for a fight!" Kitahachi stood looking at us with his hand on his hips. Whatever ambition to show himself as a big shot evaporated when Shuzo turned back his gaze to the arena and his teammates walked ahead of him. Naoya nodded in our direction, gazing at me for a while before leaned on the railing, inspecting the arena. Eitoku sat down on an empty seat and crossed his arms.

We were all a little anxious, you could tell, and everyone dealt with it their own way.

One last time the wooden door opened, and in came a Kusa jonin, wearing a big leather-colored coat and a straw hat.

'Observe.'

**Name: Masakatsu Yukiyama  
Title: Jonin of Kusagakure.  
Level: 72  
Age: 29  
Masakatsu is a jonin from Kusagakure. A sensei in Kusagakure's shinobi academy, Masakatsu is regarded as a competent instructor and coach. Recently promoted and married into a wealthy family, he now lives his life's passion: teaching.  
Relationship level: Neutral.**

"Good, you're all here," he said. "We'll begin shortly, so rules first. One: no fighting outside the arena. Two: a fight stops when_ I_ say it stops, either because I clearly see a surrender, a knockout or _I_ deem it necessary. Three: No harming civilians. You'll be divided into two brackets, the winners of each bracket will face each other for the first place. The first bracket will consist of two fights: Kichiro Nagumo against Eitoku Saionji and Shuzo Satake against Naoya Shinyama. The second bracket will be Kioshi Shirasu against Kitahachi Tanyi and Suguna against Kouki Taga. You follow?"

'So, Suguna's in my bracket while Kichiro is in Shuzo's. This will be interesting.'

"I'll call for you as the fights go. Follow the signs to the contestant's entrance to the arena." The proctor waited for any questions before leaving.

My first fight will be against the short Ame genin -the one wearing shorts during winter- and then against Suguna if she won her fight against the Iwa genin. Kichiro had it rough. He was against Ame's highest leveled genin and, from his description, a talented one. Then he'll have to fight either Shuzo or Naoya; my money would be on Shuzo rather than the Ame genin.

The proctor entered the arena from a rusty door below us. It was finally starting.

* * *

"The first fight of this tournament!" the proctor announced from the center of the arena, "Kichiro Nagumo from Kumogakure and Eitoku Saionji from Amegakure. Contestants, please come down to the arena."

The crowd clapped modestly. Perhaps there being no Kusa genin competing, they didn't find any of the fights that interesting. Even then, the place was full.

Eitoku turned around and nonchalantly walked to the exit door.

"Here." I handed Kichiro a small vial. "It's a potent antidote, just in case."

He raised his left eyebrow with suspicion. I read between the lines.

"It wouldn't have worked, not with a lingering toxin and not without proper respirators. It doesn't make you immune," I answered the implicit question.

"Give'im hell, Kichi." Suguna kissed his cheek.

Kichiro smiled and left the contestants booth. Suguna took a deep breath and turned to look down at the arena.

A minute later, both my teammate and the Ame genin joined the proctor at the center of the arena.

"Are you ready?" the proctor asked the redheads as they stood facing each other. "Start!"

Kichiro jumped back while the Ame genin simply stepped back.

"So, you're afraid?" Eitoku's voice rasped through his respirator and was followed by a dry laugh.

'He's underestimating him.' I silently chuckled. That _was_ a cliché. A dangerous one.

A blank expression replaced Kichiro's serene half-smile. He was calculating, assessing his opponent.

Eitoku made the first move, throwing shuriken with each hand. When Kichiro rolled left, the Ame genin lunged at him kunai in hand.

Kichiro immediately threw his own kunai at his attacker, but Eitoku didn't stop. He sidestepped the projectile and continued his attack. A fraction of a second before the Ame genin's kunai-wielding hand slashed my teammates face, the telltale smoke of a replacement enveloped him. From the side, Kichiro immediately threw three shuriken after the replacement, only for Eitoku to crouch down and send his own kunai in retaliation.

Kichiro didn't hesitate and used the same tactic that his opponent used, sidestepping the kunai and lunging forward. That was the beginning of a very technical taijutsu bout.

His right fist went for Eitoku's head, followed by a left vertical hook to his jaw. Said genin tilted his head to the side, a leg shot upwards to Kichiro's jaw in return, which he blocked with his right forearm crossed over his face. Eitoku acrobatically backflipped and Kichiro capitalized upon the opportunity to copy a move Suguna loved to use against him. He kicked some dust to his enemy's face while he was still on the air. Eitoku grimaced and closed his unbandaged eye as his feet touched the ground. A sharp roundhouse kick sent him barreling to the arena walls.

The Ame genin recovered and turned midair, dragging on his feet on the ground and stopping a few feet clear from the wall. Eitoku opened his teary eye and rolled left, three kunai almost hit him in the legs.

Kichiro didn't follow up his attack and stood there with another kunai in his grip.

"Why did he stop?" Suguna asked. She was leaning over the railing next to me, squinting her eyes and holding her magatama beads.

"You are good," Eitoku's raspy voice began, no doubt making time for his right eye to tear away the dust, "But enough with kunai." He squared his shoulders and tossed his respirator away. He spat blood to the side.

Kichiro was silent, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Then I'll start." Eitoku's hands flashed through four hand seals, finishing in Rat. A water bullet spouted from his mouth in Kichiro's direction, whose eyes widened and rolled right. The Ame genin dashed forward, holding the Rat seal above his mouth. Kichiro flung his kunai, another fast water bullet intercepted it and forced him to sidestep left.

Eitoku closed in and another exchange of fists and blades ensued. But Kichiro then made a rookie mistake, he dodged a sweeping low kick by somersaulting _above_ his enemy. I heard Suguna gasping next to me.

Kichiro's feet were still airborne when Eitoku's right foot impacted his torso, sending him barreling to the side of the arena where, ironically, he had sent the other redhead before. He rolled over the ground three times before impacting the stone walls. The Ame genin smirked, lowering his leg.

The dust settled quickly, Kichiro was barely standing with his back against the dented wall and holding his side. Eitoku's bloody smirk extended to a grin as he dashed forward.

Kichiro's seal less replacement saved him once again from a front kick that dented the stone wall even more. Then I saw it before I heard it: an exploding note detonated, blowing the off-guard Ame genin away from the wall and crashing into the ground, rolling over two times before stopping face down, three feet from Kichiro.

My teammate reacted quickly. A knee over Eitoku's lower back, his left arm held tightly against his upper back and a kunai poised to the neck.

"Winner, Kichiro Nagumo from Kumogakure!" the proctor voiced, and the crowd applauded in approval. Kichiro let go of his opponent and Eitoku rolled over to the side, coughing. His jumpsuit smoking and his left leg starting to stain his pants red. "Medics!"

I wasn't surprised. Kichiro cornered himself to lay a trap for a faster opponent, a commendable idea. He played his cards right, and from the way he exited the arena -standing proud and looking in Dodai's direction- even his tiredness was faked. I smiled. Becoming chunin meant much for Kichiro and Suguna, and I bet he already earned his promotion.

* * *

"Kioshi Shirasu from Kumogakure and Kitahachi Tanyi from Amegakure, come down to the arena."

Kitahachi looked down at me. "This means revenge, squid. I'll scrape the floor with you." During his teammate's fight, he leant on the railing looking down at the arena with a smirk, only to be replaced by a scowl at Kichiro's victory, his knuckles white from gripping the metal fencing.

I convincingly quavered under his gaze. He snorted and strutted past me.

This tournament was set to show your skills and your village's strength, so I would play a little with the kid. 'I'll show him what happens if you underestimate Kumo shinobi.'

Suguna smiled at me, Shuzo and Kouki were looking at me strangely with cocked heads. Naoya ignored us all.

I made my way down to the arena, my heart beating a bit faster. Was I nervous? Probably. Even confident enough, one could never push anxiety aside. But it was okay, these exams were the only plausible way to get promoted outside of war, and I needed to get promoted to get more missions and enough clearance to leave the village and begin my plans against the Akatsuki. I still had a long way to go to fight them, though.

The morning sun shone down at me as I opened the doors to the arena, warming me enough to repel the coldness. I moved to the proctor's side, Kitahachi stood at the other.

"Combatants ready?"

I took a deep breath and relaxed my scrunched up back. I nodded, still forcing a tight-lipped smile. Kitahachi snorted, looked down at me with a curled lip.

As the proctor's hand lowered, Kitahachi dashed at me.

His left fist went straight for my face, while his hips began to turn in a hackneyed sign of an imminent spinning kick. I weaved below his fist, turning sideways while jamming my right elbow into the thigh of his incoming leg. Immediately, my right fist flew up to his jaw and connected, the blow pushing him airborne.

**Hit!  
147 DMG.**

Kitahachi coiled and turned midair, landing on his feet some distance away. His smug face was now an angry red. Briefly removing his respirator, he spat some blood to the side. I wore an expressionless façade, waiting amusingly for his next move.

His hands went for his leg pouch, as mine did the same. His aiming was decent but mine was better. My shuriken impacted his in midair, and I moved left and kept pressuring him with kunai. His own tried to hit me while I evaded and countered. I sensed those kunai coming and could redirect them, sure, but I was saving that for the last match.

Soon, his kunai were depleted, while mine were halfway through. With a snarl, he dashed at me again. I retrieved one kunai in each hand. My veiled fist was the perfect taijutsu style to use blades, and I was glad to put it to a test.

He closed in with a frontal right kick and I weaved left to his exposed side, my right blade sedately going for his torso. His right elbow reacted immediately and intercepted my right forearm, but that, in turn, left his arm exposed to the blade in my left hand.

**Hit!  
200 DMG.  
Bleeding Applied.**

My kunai sunk into Kitahachi's right biceps, a grunt coming from his clenched teeth. His right fist contracted, and a bluish red gas poured from his glove. My seal less replacement wasn't fast enough.

**Contact Poison detected!  
[Resisted.] **

My eyes teared up a bit and I coughed once, but that was all. I sensed my opponent coming from the side. From the corner of my eye I saw him closing in with my own kunai in his hand and a smirk on his lips. I mentally did the same. He thought he got me with that.

Just as he coiled his hand back for a stab, our eyes connected.

'Petrifying Gaze.'

**-51 Chakra.**

Seal-less genjutsu for the win.

His eyes glazed as his momentum made him stumble forward right into my hook kick. My heel connected to the back of his head and Kitahachi's trajectory turned into a collision course with the arena walls.

**Hit!  
220 DMG.  
Stun applied.**

He crashed, still paralyzed, and slumped down, his back against the arena wall. My last four kunai immediately went for his form, two nailing his shorts to the ground, one pinning his shirt to the wall and the last one embedding itself into the stone, a quarter of an inch from his head.

"Winner, Kioshi Shirasu from Kumo."

"W-What?" Kitahachi rasped from the ground, "No, I can still f-"

"He got a killing blow there, kid. You're out."

The Ame genin looked up at me, his eyes wavering and a tired sneer over his face.

'Ah, humiliation by the one he underestimated; the customary way of dealing with the rough guy.' I snorted, turning away. The fight was a joke. Besides the poison, his attacks were easy to counter and easier to read. His shurikenjutsu needs polishing and his speed was pitiful. I was moving slow and pulling my punches a bit.

Kitahachi was taken to the infirmary, still dazed from my kick.

* * *

"Naoya Shinyama and Shuzo Satake come down to the arena."

I was back at the competitor's booth. The Iwa genin acknowledged me with cordial nod when I returned, while Kichiro and Suguna patted my back.

"Now this is a fight I'm eager to see," I commented.

Naoya silently stood from his seat, sneering. Our eyes connected for a second and I could swear there was a hint of real hatred behind it. Neither Kitahachi nor Eitoku came back from the infirmary yet. Shuzo rose more energetically, his own face still set in a so-so expression. He adjusted his shoulder pads and his hitai ate before leaving the contestant's booth.

"Hm? Why?" Kichiro asked leaning on the railing.

"Shuzo looks strong, and you guys did make it out of the Quiet Forest alive," I answered to Kichiro and the remaining Iwa genin in the booth. "If any, I'm hoping he proves stronger than Kitahachi."

"Well, yeah, but Naoya doesn't look like a pushover neither," Suguna added standing by the railing next to her boyfriend.

"True, true." But even if Shuzo was a higher level, he still looked like someone trying to prove something with that reserved expression he tried so hard to maintain.

"Contestants ready?" The proctor's voice ringed from the center of the arena, where Shuzo and Naoya stood facing each other.

"I'm going to end this fast!" taunted the Ame genin, clutching his umbrella.

At the proctor's mark, his's weapon spun up, launching metal senbon all over the area.

Shuzo already jumped back, but the sheer number of pins raining down on him had him widen his eyes for a fraction of a second. He sped through four hand seals ending in Dog and spewed a line of mud in front of him. Just in time, a six feet earth wall rose from the ground and blocked the incoming projectiles.

'Nice.'

Shuzo swiftly replaced himself with a big stone that lay next to his attacker, and Naoya, who was still obliviously observing the results of his own attack against the earthen barrier, reacted in the nick of time and blocked the incoming punch.

The stone genin proved to be a decent taijutsu combatant. His form was aggressive, though it didn't lack in finesse. A high knee connected to Naoya's solar plexus, a left-handed jab struck his right temple, and a roundhouse kick forced him to disengage and jump back. Shuzo pressed on and closed in with a kunai in hand, getting some grazes in before Naoya replaced himself away.

The Ame genin was already panting and bleeding from his arms. From a distance, he began pelting kunai at his attacker.

Shuzo circled to the right, expertly blocking the incoming blades with his own. His path led him behind his earth wall, just as Naoya switched to senbon, this time from his left leg pouch.

From the booth, we saw Shuzo's going through hand seals behind the earth wall and burrow underground.

It was five seconds afterwards when Naoya stopped trying to tear down the earth wall with his metal senbon to grasp the cut on his left forearm. The ground underneath him cracked and an arm sprouted. In an instant, the Ame genin was neck deep into the ground, wiggling to dig himself out. But that was the end.

With a kunai in hand, Shuzo emerged and poised the blade to his neck.

"Winner, Shuzo Satake from Iwagakure!"

"See, that's a very talented genin there," I said.

"What do you mean?" Suguna raised an eyebrow.

"Creating a wall from mud is pretty advanced. You basically transform your chakra to earth instead of using the earth below your feet which, unless you're standing on a layer of solid rock -and that's difficult to control too-, it's almost always flimsy material." I answered, watching the earth wall still standing after Shuzo helped dug the Ame genin out. "You could compress the material underneath, but that takes a lot more chakra control."

"Yes, he's talented with earth ninjutsu and he finished the fight in under three minutes." Kichiro assented. "His reaction time was admirable too." Kichiro's lips were pressed together, his eyes focused on Shuzo as he left the arena. He would have to fight him for a spot at the finals.

* * *

"Suguna of Kumogakure and Kouki Taga from Iwagakure, please come down to the arena."

Suguna had a steeled look, betrayed by her hands holding her magatama beads.

"Good luck, Sugi." Kichiro's words appeased her trembling hands.

She nodded, took a deep breath and followed the Iwa genin down to the arena.

"Any bets?" I asked Shuzo as he entered the competitor's booth seconds after his teammate and Suguna left.

"Well, Kouki is fairly good," He answered mechanically, "I don't know about your teammate and that sword of hers might prove problematic."

Both competitors entered the arena and stood at the center. Suguna carried her ninjato strapped at her side, his tanto on her lower back and her magatama collar back around her neck.

The stone genin opened his crimson haori, from which I could sense kunai inside.

"Combatants ready?"

Both genin nodded, and the proctor's hands dropped.

Kouki's hands flashed through hand seals -the "Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique" genjutsu, I recognized- while Suguna unsheathed her ninjato. Her eyes glazed for a fraction of a second before steeling into Kouki's.

She dashed at him. Fast, relentless.

Kouki didn't have time to counter, he immediately began waving around her blade, drawing his own kunai attempting to block her attacks. Suguna was faster. She got some cuts in his side and forearms, while Kouki at least nicked her shoulder and her right biceps.

Suguna wasn't using lethal force, she danced around, weaving and blocking, intercepting her opponent's jabs with her blade. Kichiro next to me was smiling, enthralled.

Kouki finally got a breath when he found the opening to jump back, throwing his kunai to keep Suguna away. His left forearm bled, and his earth colored shirt was turning crimson as his haori. His hand seals were fast, nevertheless, as he went through six motions quickly whilst midair.

Suguna's dash stopped, her head darting from left to right. She slashed to her right then turned her back on her opponent with her sword poised to strike, motionless.

'Genjutsu?' I wondered.

Kouki seized the opportunity and rushed up to her with a kunai.

Suguna spun quickly, her blade on her right hand, and her ninjato found him.

Kichiro snorted. We knew that move: Kumo's Reverse Beheading. Useful, fast and difficult to counter. Tricky, to say the least, and more so if you didn't expect it of course.

Contrary to its name, Kouki kept his head and only received a deep gash on his chest. He faltered while Suguna finished her spin and poised her blade on his neck.

"Winner, Suguna of Kumo! Medics!"

Kouki stopped blinking and grimaced; his hands went for his torso. Medic rushed in to take him away.

"I guess he should have seen that coming," Shuzo commented while his teammate was carried away. Suguna following behind.

"Well, we have experience with genjutsu." Kichiro smirked.

"Yep. I wonder what was that last one to get her to stop on her tracks after slashing to her side," I said.

"No fucking idea," Shuzo replied.

"You don't know your teammates strength?" Kichiro questioned.

Shuzo just shrugged. "We're only teammates for this exam."

"Yeah, so were we, but we have put a lot of thought into our team dynamics and each other's strengths. We've gone from complete strangers to friends in months because we have put our efforts in getting to know each other. What if you had a hard fight during the second stage of the exams? If you don't know the-" Kichiro was back into nosy mode and Shuzo took a step back, blinking.

The proctor's voice boomed once again. "Kichiro Nagumo from Kumogakure and Shuzo Satake from Iwagakure, please come down to the arena."

Shuzo whirled for the exit, Kichiro, still with his inquisitive look and still talking, followed him.

When both genin entered the arena, Suguna was back in the contestant's booth. She looked around and hurried to the handrail.

"Aw, I wanted to wish him good luck," she said while taking her magatama beads from his neck.

"Say, what was that last genjutsu?" I asked her.

"Oh, an illusion, like clones. He divided in ten different selves and they all scrambled away and circled me. One even attacked me. I assumed they were clones when my blade went through. I heard him coming from behind though."

"Nifty little concept." They resembled clones, so she was looking for clones. Misdirection. 'Note to self: include something like that into my repertoire... and double check assumptions when my kekkei genkai can't help me.' Regardless, she heard him coming, which meant the illusion was only visual.

"Combatants ready?" the proctor's voice interrupted my thoughts. Suguna was already grabbing the railing with a white-knuckled grip as his arm dropped.

Neither moved, both genin assessing their opponent judiciously. Seconds passed and Shuzo moved forward.

His right fist was parried by Kichiro's left forearm and my teammate tried a jab to the face. Shuzo blocked with his left and went for a side kick to the rib cage. Kichiro backflipped, his right leg extending to hit his opponent's jaw while his hands dropped to the ground behind for a handspring. Shuzo deftly moved his head to the right and, as he drew back his right fist again, a smoke bomb detonated from the ground where my teammate's hands were poised.

Kichiro jumped away from his handstand as smoke enveloped the area. He landed on his feet as a tale-telling hiss gave way to a small ball of fire within the smoke cloud. Kichiro didn't wait for the results, he dove right as a hand popped from underground. He threw four kunai as Shuzo quickly emerged from underground, not a singe on him.

The Iwa genin expertly blocked the flying blades and hurried to engage in taijutsu. Kichiro's right cross hit Shuzo in the face, who winced and retaliated with a blow to Kichiro's gut and a side kick.

Again, Kichiro jumped back away from the kick, this time taking kunai from his gray jacket. He threw them in a wide arc. I sensed the metal wires between the kunai and, somehow, Shuzo must have noticed them too. He replaced himself with some rubble from the previous explosion.

Kichiro's face morphed to a scowl while Shuzo's blank expression became serious. Both combatants looked at each other from thirty feet away, studying each other one more time.

Yet again, Shuzo broke the inaction. He lunged faster than before, cocking his right fist and impacting Kichiro's arms he hastily raised to defend his face. My teammate was flung back nevertheless, his hands going through pained hand seals as he coiled himself to land on his feet.

Shuzo was approaching him, when a surge of electricity jumped from my teammate's hands to the Iwa genin.

I recognized that jutsu immediately. Electromagnetic Murder they called it and Kichiro's was praiseworthy. He frequently used it in all-in spars with Suguna or me, and it was fast.

Shuzo got hit, though he didn't falter. Kichiro's eyes widened as the Iwa genin roared through the paralyzing electricity and took a swing at my teammate's face. I saw how Kichiro at least retracted his head backwards to mitigate the impact, but he was thrown back once again. He crashed and rolled uncontrollably over the ground four times before getting a grip on himself and digging his feet to the ground. He lifted his bruised face, his right hand taking a red-hilted kunai from de back of his belt, his swollen eye looking frantically for his opponent through the dust cloud his crash created.

But it was too late. Shuzo already shook the numbness away -if he felt any at all- and finalized his own set of hand seals while racing forward through the dust cloud. That I recognized one more time, the Hell Viewing Technique.

It only took a fraction of a second for Kichiro's eyes to glaze over, and another for his eyes to steel again. That was all his enemy needed; the edge of a kunai was poised against his neck from behind.

Kichiro's shoulders relaxed. "I give," he breathed out with a chuckle.

* * *

Suguna's grip on the railing loosened, blood returning to her knuckles as Kichiro headed to the Medic nin who just entered the arena.

"That was a good fight," I noted. Kichiro gave a perfect fight, but Shuzo saw through his ruses.

"It was. I hope he's okay..." Suguna breathed out. "Now," she closed her eyes and rolled her right shoulder, "it's time." Her eyes opened, an unreadable expression on her face. She moved for the exit.

For the first time since I've met her, not a drop of fear or anxiety sat over her shoulders. I silently followed her to the arena.

"Combatants ready?"

"Wait," Suguna interrupted the proctor, looking at me directly.

I frowned. What was she planning?

Her left hand went for the pouch on her leg, procuring her small sealing scroll and unfurling it on the ground at her feet. She unstrapped the pouch from her leg and tossed it over the opened scroll. "I'm fighting you today not as your enemy," she unsheathed her ninjato, tossing it over the opened scroll and repeating with the tanto on her back, "not as another soldier," she continued, unstrapping her vambraces, "and not as a Kumo shinobi," her hands went to back of her head, untying her hitai ate and holding it in front of her, "but as your friend. Do you understand, Kioshi?"

I shook my head in mild astonishment. 'Clever girl.' She made herself undetectable, robbed me of my main advantage and forced me to oblige her request else risk looking dishonorable in front of the crowd. All without disgracing our names as shinobi of Kumogakure.

I ceremoniously untied my hitai ate and my kunai pouches and sealed them in one of my scrolls. We handed the scrolls to the proctor -who sported a reminiscent grin on his face- and moved back to our positions. "Well then, are you ready?" he asked.

I stood ten feet from of my teammate; my right fist held in front of me next to my left hip and my elbow slightly forward. My left hand resting below my right cheek, opened, palm facing right. My left foot forward, knees slightly bent and my weight on the balls of my feet.

I regarded Suguna's posture. Stiff back slightly bent forward, feet apart and her arms in front. Her fists were relaxed, her eyes fixed on me. Her specialty was the sword not her taijutsu, and you could tell.

We both nodded.

"Start."

Suguna leaped at me. I smirked.

The three of us agreed not to pull any punches if we had to fight each other, though keeping damage to a minimum. First and foremost, we had a lot to show Dodai. Even if this weren't a spar -where we rarely hit each other and kept everything to taps mostly- I realized from my last match this could end too fast if I used all my strength.

Her hips rotated and I raised my arm to block the incoming roundhouse kick. She was using her height against me. Leaning back to avoid her follow-up knee, I moved right and threw my fist to her exposed abdomen. She blocked with her left elbow, her right going for my left temple. I caught the incoming fist and threw a right swing to her face.

**Hit!  
70 DMG.**

My fist connected, and she followed the imparted momentum with a strong spinning kick I likewise timely blocked.

I was pushed back a foot, dissipating the force through my body to the ground. She was coming in with deep punches, projecting them inches inside my body and defenses while I went, mostly, for quick jabs. I understood her idea. We agreed on it, and she knew I could take it and that I had the advantage in close quarter combat. She knew the Veiled Fist was a difficult style to fight and counter, and I was stronger and faster. She was going all in and with metal out of the equation, she believed she had a chance.

I didn't wait for her to come back at me, I went into the offensive. I stepped inside her defenses while she recovered from her spin, her eyes widening. A jab with my right fist to her face made her tilt her head back, her arms reacted, raising to her face. My ensuing body punch aimed three inches into her side, right into her liver -but still not fully powered- was met with a hissing sound.

**Hit!  
110 DMG.**

Suguna contracted her abs and bit through the pain.

My eyes focused on her upper body, something I learned the hard way when fighting taller opponents like Yugito. I read her follow up attack and raised my body to meet her dropping elbow halfway through. That took away most of the potential impact from the blow, otherwise it would have undoubtedly broken my left clavicle.

**-10 HP!**

Suguna noticed my right uppercut going for her jaw, but not my left foot I positioned behind his right. She tried to take a step back, only to misstep and fall backwards to the ground. A muffled puff of smoke signaled a replacement as my right fist impacted the ground where her head used to be.

My eyes darted around the area looking for her or her name window. Without metal on her body, I couldn't sense her. 'So that's why she was wearing pants and not her mesh shorts and skirt today,' I realized.

In a second, I spotted her; or rather, a fireball coming at me. Suguna's fireballs were fast, though low powered. She used them mostly for misdirection. I dodged left.

She dashed from behind the fireball, her right fist cocked. I tilted my head to the side and raised my upper arm to block a spinning right kick to my face. Because of the height difference all kicks were aimed at my head, something I also got used to months ago. I winced. The kick hurt; Suguna was _strong_ and she put a lot of momentum behind that. My feet dragged on the ground, and I jumped back.

**-50 HP!**

She rushed at me again, this time with left and right jab combinations. I weaved around them and began my own attacks, this time putting more power behind them but still without concealing them. My kicks were aimed at her torso and her side, and she blocked them all, wincing with each impact. She tried an upper knee to my jaw, and I sidestepped to the right. Her backhanded punch collided with my raised left arm.

Her taijutsu was easy to read, but the smoke bomb blasting from inside her fist wasn't. Should have expected that, though. Kichiro did something similar during his fight with Shuzo.

I jumped back from the smoke, flashing through hand seals.

Tiger, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, Snake: 'Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.'

**-120 Chakra.**

I showed off and powered the jutsu quite a bit. The smoke was blown away, as was the fireball Suguna sent into the cloud from the other side. Again, her fire techniques were fast, but not particularly powerful. A high-powered wind jutsu, regardless of the nature disadvantage, was enough to blow the medium-sized fireball away instead of empowering it.

The wind blew chunks of rock, dirt and dust in an angular cone, almost all the way to the walls.

**Hit!  
140 DMG.**

Suguna got hit by the jutsu. From the damage notification, she dodged the worst of it.

To the left I immediately noticed two silhouettes and their name windows amid the settling dust, away from the most destructive path of my jutsu. A clone forefront, and Suguna way beyond.

**Suguna [Clone]**

**Suguna  
[Very Good]**

Restraining myself from reflexively summon kunai from my inventory, I ran. Quickly grabbing a head-sized stone torn by my jutsu, I barreled through the clone and the clearing dust, and then hurled the rock fragment in her direction.

Through the dust, I saw her ducking left, away from the projectile's path and interrupting her hand seals. Capitalizing upon her distraction, I created a simple clone while I ran and replaced myself with the still-flying rock.

**-13 Chakra.**

**-13 Chakra.**

I pivoted mid-air after the kawarimi, landing behind Suguna as she jumped back to her feet, my clone still dashing at her. My knees buckled offsetting my momentum, and I sprang back, rotating my hips for a flying kick as my clone closed in from the front.

Suguna seemed to notice the ruse. She ignored the clone and turned around to block my kick with both hands. The impact pushed her to the side and I leaped at her again. A roundhouse kick, a follow-up high knee, a dropping elbow, a left-right-left jab feint sequence; non-telegraphed low-powered attacks she couldn't block. I was overwhelming her, chipping away her remaining health.

A sweeping kick after a concealed staggering jab to the face forced her to jump. Unable to avoid my follow-up rising kick, she heedlessly flung her left arm to block. I heard a popping sound from her shoulder and a short cry from her mouth.

**Hit!  
221 DMG.  
Left arm disabled.**

Suguna dropped down to one knee, her gaze fixed on mine. I moved in and seeing the signs of a retaliatory haymaker with her working arm, I stepped in her defense to counter with a knee. That was a mistake. I didn't notice the jagged stone on her hand until it was too late, and my left forearm raised ill-prepared for the impact. In hindsight, I should have dodged that.

**-80 HP! asdf**

It hurt, but once again I found myself delighted by the shinobi body. No cracking sound either. Regardless, I followed the movement and leaped right.

Suguna stood again, breathing harshly, blood dripping down from her clenched teeth. Her left arm was tucked to the side of his torso, unmoving. I shook my left wrist and mentally smiled. She was a fierce shinobi, a proud kunoichi of Kumogakure. But she was spent while I was barely tired.

I lunged forward one last time. She took a step back, cocking her functional fist and tried another wild haymaker. I lurched up, trapping the coming fist under my left arm and jumped high, quickly twisting my hip clockwise as my left knee soared over her head only to lash it back against her neck.

We were taught, time and time again during training, one of the golden rules of shinobi combat: never grapple bladed opponents, even if they look unarmed. Suguna wasn't armed.

My abrupt twisting, pulling and my own weight made Suguna immediately slant forward over me. In an instant, when my back almost touched the ground and with her right arm between my legs and her wrist held tightly, I pulled. She uncontrollably rolled over me to her back. I arched.

"Stop!" The proctor read Suguna's feet tapping for surrender and his voice boomed. "Winner by submission, Kioshi Shirasu from Kumogakure!"

The crowd roared. Whistling, cheers and applauds reverberated against the arena walls.

I let go of the armbar and rolled back to my feet. Suguna, her left arm still held close to her body, breathed laboriously looking at the clouds. I offered her my hand, which she took it.

"Congratulations," she panted as I hoisted her up. She leant on me while catching her breath and spat blood to the side.

I smiled at her. "Likewise."

The medics were rushing in. A dislocated shoulder and general bruising, nothing they couldn't manage.

* * *

"You need some time kid?" the proctor asked me with a grin as he handed me my scroll back and the medics helped Suguna away.

I realized I was still standing in the arena. "Nah, what the hell. I'm good to go." My HP was already regenerating, and my chakra was barely spent. Unsealing my pouches and my hitai ate, I began to strap everything back on.

The proctor chuckled. "Sure thing, kid." He turned to the competitor's booth and voiced one last time. "The final fight: Shuzo Satake from Iwagakure versus Kioshi Shirasu from Kumogakure! Competitors, come down to the arena." The crowd applauded and cheered in high spirit.

Shuzo entered the arena and stood next to the proctor, blank faced. We both stared at each other. He seriously -but cordially- nodded at me and I replied with the same. We didn't say a word, there was no need to. I knew he was busy planning and I was doing the same.

Shuzo proved to be fast, ingenious and proficient with earth ninjutsu and shurikenjutsu. I planned to test his bukijutsu first and save the magnet release for an extravagant over-the-top grand finale. Just as the crowd fancied.

"Combatants ready? Start!"

Neither moved. I could feel the tension building up on his expression. But I was fairly calmed. For me, this was just a spar. I reminded myself to measure my strength; I didn't want to end this fight with only a couple of hits like my first one. Though I wouldn't underestimate Shuzo either.

'Let's start.'

I lunged and took the offensive. My right upper hook to the face was diverted, my spinning kick was blocked, and I weaved around his counters. He stepped back with every attack, blocking or dodging each hit expertly, so I kicked it up a notch. A left feint opened his defense for my follow up low-powered roundhouse kick to his liver.

**Hit!  
170 DMG.**

It connected, he grunted.

Yugito never fell for those feints, nor Haou-sensei; the differences between jonin and chunin or genin were astounding.

Shuzo retaliated with a right haymaker. The height difference gave me an advantage there, and I dropped down for a sweep. He jumped back, and I sprung back at him. Unremitting shallow jabs pushed him back as he tried to weave around them, only for my concealed follow-up blows to connect to his upper body.

**Hit!  
70 DMG.**

**Hit!  
70 DMG.**

The veiled fist was difficult to telegraph, and he was noticing that. He tried to go for his kunai pouch, but I struck his wrists at every attempt. He might be faster than Suguna but not faster than me, and he was being pushed back by my incessant blows.

**Hit!  
110 DMG. **

After a hard blow connected to his right ribs, he wheezed and expertly took a step back, his right hand going for the back of his belt. Shuzo was taller and had a reach advantage; I couldn't stop him from taking a smoke bomb, though I wasn't going to let him use it.

Diverting his left jab as he dropped the smoke bomb between us, I stepped in and nonchalantly kicked the paper contraption away from us. He tried another short jab -which opened his defense- and I jumped up, my knee going for his jaw. He expertly disengaged and leaped far back. By then, we were nearing the arena walls.

I promptly reacted and in one continuous movement I flung two kunai at him fast as the smoke bomb burst six feet away.

Shuzo blurred through hand seals and mud gushed from his mouth. A hasty earth wall erected in front of him, flimsy, but stable enough to stop my non-magnet-release-powered kunai.

I was enjoying myself. Shuzo's taijutsu was almost flawless. Every defensive dodge, block and parry was instinctual, measured and fast, but still too raw and naive. As Suguna, he favored his right hand; my left forearm ached a bit. He was definitely faster than her, though not as strong.

I sensed Shuzo's metal signature going underground. Ignoring his wall, I dropped an exploding note and jumped away as he surfaced. I expected him to go for the Double Decapitation Jutsu, but he emerged some feet away. The exploding tag nevertheless detonated, fire and dust engulfed a small area. Shuzo covered his eyes and jumped back.

'He's moving away from the wall,' I concluded. More kunai flew from my hand to his signature behind the dust cloud. He reacted, and two blades intercepted mine. 'Now that was surprising.'

He dashed at me through the dust cloud, kunai in hands. I did the same.

My first thrust was straight to his chest. He skillfully redirected the blade with his, both kunai struggling for dominance while his own right weapon went for my temple. My left forearm swiftly blocked his right forearm, stopping the blade a few inches from my temple. Immediately, I let go of the struggling kunai in my right hand and lashed up for a throat punch.

He had no alternative but to lean back, going for a handspring and an upper kick to my chin. Weaving my head right, I threw the kunai in my left hand to his twisting body. He was attentive, and in a graceful display his own left hand lashed out and parried the blade, springing back to his feet with only his right hand as ground support.

I wasn't going to let him out of range. I closed in as he finished his somersault, new kunai in each hand, and went for a sweep with my right kunai. He tilted his head back, his own left kunai drawing an arc from below. I didn't block, I leaned right, away from its path. My left kunai jabbed to the right side of his chest and his hastened defense wasn't fast enough. My blade shallowly cut his impromptu right forearm.

**Hit!  
40 DMG.**

In bladed fights, he who had the longer reach had the advantage. From my training with Yugito, I was quick enough to fight with that disadvantage and still defend myself. But I had to be cautious and precise.

Another kunai bout happened. Then another and then another.

I had a small cut on the top of my shoulder and another on my left biceps. Shuzo had multiple slashes on his arms and a deep one on his side. That was a surprise, as I used one of the kunai I coated with my intermediate toxin, and he resisted.

**Resisted!**

From which I could only conclude he had some sort of experience with poisons.

I was a little winded, a quarter of my SP points were gone. Shuzo, in contrast, was sweating and beginning to bleed.

He took a deep breath before dashing back at me. He threw his kunai, and I intercepted them with my own.

A taijutsu exchange ensued. An erred step back from Shuzo gave me the opening for a strong high kick that sent him away rolling over the ground.

**Hit!  
200 DMG. **

I sensed him again going underground among the raised dust, and I still could see a silhouette laying in the ground. His metal signature reappeared behind the mud wall he erected at the beginning; what was left among the dust was a clone, probably rigged with a trap.

**Shuzo Satake [Mud Clone]**

Noticing the amount of chakra he was throwing around with those advanced jutsu, I responded the same.

Tiger, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, Snake: 'Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.'

**-180 Chakra. **

I overcharged the jutsu all hell broke loose. The cone of wind razed the ground, the rocks and the earthen wall, tearing a shallow trench of destruction all the way to the arena wall. I even had to channel chakra to my feet to avoid getting propelled back.

Among the dirt storm and the howl of the sweeping winds, I heard the excited roar of the crowd.

Shuzo once again escaped underground just when his wall broke down. I sensed him popping back up again twenty feet to my left, far from the dust.

I immediately turned his way, another set of kunai in hands.

His frozen-open eyes turned into a glare and his nostrils flared, his eyebrows knitted together. He dashed at me and I took a step back, getting into a defensive position.

I could see it in his eyes, over his pale face and tight lips: the desperation turning into anger and creeping under his skin. I knew that feeling. As salt to a wound, it stung. He realized he was going to lose, and he loathed that thought.

His kunai thrusted to my head, fast and decisively. I jumped, backflipping twice. He went for a killing blow, he regarded me as a killing factor. I got rid the kid gloves and began my own onslaught.

Dropping my kunai to the ground, I launched myself to his incoming form. I weaved between each stab, riposte and slash, sensing the position of every metal part of his body; his hitai ate, the kunai in his pouch and hands, his mesh armor, the metal buckle of his belt, his steel-toed boots, the metal frame of his shoulder pads. Each time I responded with a simple but well-timed blow to his body. His ribs cracked more than once, his mouth bled, his thighs and shins bruised, his forearms went numb.

After what felt like an hour, he replaced himself with rubble from the trench of my wind jutsu. He was holding his left side, his right arm still in a defense pose. His breathing was laborious, his eyes still frozen onto me. Shuzo was a tough kid to have come out of that beating still standing.

The crowd was cheering and applauding. I ignored most of that. I still had something to show, and Shuzo gave me the perfect cue to start.

He took a deep breath as we stared at each other sixty feet apart. He unfurled a scroll and in a single motion unsealed a mass of kunai and shuriken that dropped at his feet. I smirked as he began pelting them to me at outrageous speeds for a genin.

I stood motionless, silently diverting every weapon to my sides with my magnet release. Shuzo's scowl deepened, thirty-four shuriken and twenty-seven kunai laid buried to the handles around me.

He procured another scroll and two fuma shuriken appeared in his hands with a poof of smoke. They came flying at me in an arc. I could sense the wires among those and the kunai in the ground, going all the way to Shuzo's hands. His last surprise.

I stood unmoving, serene, and extended both my arms. Shuzo's eyes widened when the fuma shuriken stopped dead against my palms. The crowd gasped when the buried kunai and shuriken rose from the ground and began circling above my head, the wires snapping under my command.

Shuzo quickly went for another scroll, but this time I acted, hurling each and every kunai around me in succession, empowered by my kekkei genkai.

He proved to be smarter than I gave him credit before. He moved away from the remaining weapons at his feet and didn't block any of the incoming missiles. He dodged and weaved around them in a show of skill that even Suguna would be hard pressed to display at this level, not with those injuries. He recognized my kekkei genkai -or better said, Kumo's version - and assumed my weapons were magnetized.

Nevertheless, quickly the last of his strength and speed seemed to fade. He replaced himself one last time and a glob of mud gushed from his mouth between breaths. A flimsy earthen wall erected, and the last shuriken impacted against it, some piercing through, others just cracking it.

**Hit!  
117 DMG.**

**Hit!  
117 DMG.  
Right arm disabled. **

Shuzo jumped over his barrier, furious, and dashed at me with a snarl. His right arm now dangled limp to his side, a shuriken sticking out of his biceps and another from his shoulder.

I could use the fuma shuriken still floating at my sides, or the weapons lying around the field, or any metal he wore or even the shuriken embedded in his arm. Instead, I opted for my own creation.

Ram, Rat: 'Shellshock.'

**-28 Chakra.**

He staggered, his eyes quivered and his working arm trembled. He slumped unceremoniously to the ground twenty feet from me. In a final show of my talents, I stirred the fuma shuriken and all other weapons lying around the arena in unison into the air, and with utter concentration -and gusto- I sent them all to his twitching body.

The crowd gasped as the blades dug into the ground around him, forming a perfect circle. The fuma shuriken buried themselves at each side of his head.

And the crowd was silent, until a lonely voice yelled somewhere from the spectator seating. "Hell yeah!"

The proctor shunshined from wherever to Shuzo's side as I walked there. Shuzo was breathing -albeit fitfully- and stirred. I removed the fuma shuriken at his side and he rolled over, coughing blood and dust.

"You bastard," he said once he noticed me there, his eyes half closed and his expression once again neutral, if not for the involuntary wincing.

"Winner by knockout, Kioshi Shirasu from Kumogakure!" the proctor voiced, and the crowd once again rumbled between claps. "Medics!"

I smiled. My body ached in mild discomfort. My chakra sat at 89 percent and recovering, my SP points were just above halfway gone, and my HP was almost full, only dropped because of some shallow cuts and bruises. That was an interesting fight. Nothing close to fighting Yugito, but still, interesting.

Gazing at the yelling crowd, I smiled and waved, and exited the arena feeling proud of myself.

* * *

Suguna was alright. The medics put her shoulder back and healed any ripped ligaments. After saying sorry and once again being dismissed by her, we were soberly congratulated by Haou-sensei. I completed my mission, won the exams and showed the world that Kumo's magnet release was once again let lose over the shinobi world.

Why wasn't the quest updated yet? Did I need to report back to the Raikage first?

Maybe.

We departed Kusa that same afternoon after a late lunch. The way back to Kumo was hassle-free, no problems and no squabbles. We did stop for a night at Yugakure, much to Suguna's delight. The hot waters calmed our muscles and bones.

Kichiro and I talked for quite a bit, about our plans for the future after the almost certain promotion we three earned -according to him- and about what would we expect from our new ranks. Chunin were supposed to lead genin and other chunin, and take B and A-rank missions. But I didn't care much. I was subjected to the Raikage's command and decisions regarding my future in the shinobi force. My own plans and objectives still required me to grow quite a bit more.

The deep snow covering the Land of Frost gave way to a receding -but still quite thick- white mantle between the scattered pine trees that marked the south-western borders of the Land of Lightning. We spent the night at the foot of the southern mountain range and crossed the White Water pass the following morning. The semi-deserted valleys surrounding the central mountain range opened below us, the sea of clouds on top covering the mountain tops where Kumogakure was.

We climbed the stairs, crossed the cloud line and left the snow behind. The gates of Kumogakure opened to us. I arrived home.

"I'll inform the Raikage of our arrival. Dodai should arrive in a couple of days, then you'll be called to his office too. Now go and have a shower," Haou-sensei said.

I said goodbye to my teammates and headed home. I really needed that shower.

* * *

"I hope you didn't tell anyone about this," the old man said.

"And nobody saw. Why was this so important?"

We were standing in his living room that afternoon. Old man Yataro was looking for a book between his collection on the wall. The letter he asked me to steal sat over the table.

I unsealed the whole desk inside one of the dungeons just in case it was rigged. But nothing. Not a trap, not a bomb, not an alarm. Nothing.

"My reasons are my own," he answered.

"Don't you think I deserve to know why you wanted a bizarre and forgotten letter from a dead Kage of another village? What for?"

"I told you kid. I'm not telling you."

"Hey, I risked a lot for it, why can't-"

He threw a greenish book at me, one about the innovations of woodworking during the period between the warring states and the foundations of the shinobi villages. I dodged it, wide-eyed.

"Hey! Why -"

"You are going to risk a lot more during your career kid, and a lot of other people too."

"Hey c'mon, why can't you te-"

Another book flew to my head. This time a brown heavy tome about the ancestral origins of sea produce and related cooking techniques.

"Use your brain kid. Think. Stop taking things for granted only because you've proven good in our line of work. You've got a lot of work to do yet, Kioshi. You're strong, but this is a terrible, cruel world. You have to understand it, it'll take eve-"

"Are you trying to lecture me, old man? I know that. I lived that. I'm proud of what I have achieved, but it's hardly enough. Not now, there's too much to do."

Another book was thrown at me. I tilted my head, didn't even bother reading the name.

"Are you really trying to save the world? You think you can handle it?" He turned his head to me, his cane tapped hard against the wooden floor. "Show it to me then! Show me your resolve!"

"No!" I answered, "I'm not trying to save the world. These... world" -I corrected myself- "is beyond saving. It suffers from a disease called humanity. Independent of how beautiful the world might be old man, we are doomed to suffering. It's the human condition, being born full of desire and starved for understanding; and only through struggle we rise. Hatred, oppression, conflict... those are part of who we are, there's no changing that. There's no solution, no pill, no hidden jutsu. And you know that."

Old man Yataro eyed me for a second, his eyes downcast. "Then what do you want?"

"Heh, I've never been able to answer that particular question. Now? I'm going through the motions. I want to survive, to protect, to stop what's bound to begin. Tomorrow? Who knows? I'll figure that out along the way. Maybe settle down, study, teach. Help the younger generations so Tadashi and Kazuya's fate won't repeat itself, so kids like Yugito won't have to grow with such pain, so alone. It'll be my grain of salt." I felt my eyes water, but a smile found a way. "I really thought this world was too fucked up then, you know. Yugito might be right in some way, but I've found some happiness in between. There's some beauty in human life, regardless of our imperfections. I'll keep finding it, it's the only way to endure the human condition."

My past life, the one I used to call the real world, was more like a distant dream now. I was more here than there now, and whatever remnants of that old me still roaming around my mind were slowly fading away. I should try and make new memories, good memories.

The old man was looking at me with an empty stare and a sad smile, his eyes turned to the stolen letter over his table. "I _can't_ tell you," he said.

My eyes widened.

"You... you can't tell me? A secret?"

He nodded. "You'll figure it out eventually and you'll understand why I can't say anything about it. I personally don't care if you do."

'How can I figure it out?' I wondered, 'or should I?'

It suddenly hit me. I tend to forget about the gaming mechanics when I'm not training or fighting, so I often only Observe new people and things once, ignoring the skill's leveling. 'I'm an idiot.'

'Observe.'

**Name: Yataro Sada.  
Title:  
Level: 89  
Age: 75  
Yataro is a retired jonin from Kumogakure. During the first war, Yataro defected to the Land of Lightning and sought refuge in Kumogakure. After probation and despite his injuries, he became a centerpiece of Kumogakure's Intelligence Agency.  
Relationship level: Very Good.**

'What the fuck?' The old man wasn't originally from Kumo, he defected from... somewhere during the first war. 'Didn't he say he got injured during the second war.'

"It looks like you figured it out," the old man said, "It's been too long, Kioshi. I'm old and tired, but there's still so much I want to do before I die. I lost my father and my brother during the first war, and my ability to mold chakra during the second. There's little else for me here in this world, but there are still some things to do. I-"

His voice broke; his lack expression, reddening eyes and downturned head said more than his words could.

"It's ok, gramps," I said, "I'll get us some of that strong tea I brough from Kusa and we can talk about whatever, okay? Take you scarf, it's still cold outside."

* * *

I ran into Darui at the art supply store later that day. I was absentmindedly roaming around the aisles, looking for some new brushes, more oil-based paint and something to remove said paint from the floor.

"Hey kid, funny running into you here!" Darui greeted me.

'Yeah, at an art supply store close to my house in the poor district of Kumo. Funny is not the word I'd use.' Besides, I felt his metal signature following me blocks away. He looked conflicted with my presence, but to be honest, my mind was in other places to bother myself with him.

"Everything okay?" I asked. He's voice lacked his usual bored, lazy undertone.

"Yeah, hey, congratulations by the way. I heard you won the exams."

"Yes, thank you."

Darui coughed nervously, his hand behind his neck and darting glances around us. "Say, have you seen Yugito?"

"Not today I haven't," I answered blinking, "Is something the matter?"

"Is Yugito single?" he babbled, "I mean... you spend time with her outside of work, right?"

I raised one eyebrow and tilted my head. "I don't think she's seeing anybody."

"Great! Yeah, so, thanks kid!" He awkwardly patted me in the back and left the store in a hurry, not looking back.

I took a deep breath. 'Wait, what was I buying again?'

. . . . . - - - . - . . - . - - - . - - . . .

"What?!" Yugito's voice boomed around the Raikage's office. She and Haou Kogure -the jonin sensei- stood in front of A-sama's desk, "You're giving him a gray vest?"

This wasn't another dull meeting, it seemed. Word about the Shirasu kid winning the exams by landslide spread fast, and now they were deciding his fate. 'Strange kid, that one. Easy to find, though.'

"It's decided." Dodai's voice was calmed and serious, as always.

Now that he thought about it, he has never seen Dodai angry or exalted. Worried, sure, but never angry, only serious. The aging lines over his face always added to the effect.

"Care to enlighten us?" Haou's voice got ahead of what would probably have been a snarky comment from B.

Darui didn't really care that the A-sama's brother frequented his office so much. It was an effective way of keeping him informed about the day-to-day news of the village, else he might have become a hermit a long time ago. He was mostly ignored, though, and only A-sama could stop his rapping.

"You saw the fights," Dodai answered.

"I didn't!" Yugito yelled again.

"You can read the report's Haou filled: he pulled his team out of the second phase by himself and won every match. But that's not it. Not remotely." Dodai leaned back against the windowpane behind the Raikage's desk. These types of meetings were always a little candid, mainly because the jonin always argued about promotions with the officials. "He dominated each fight and came out virtually unscathed. He showed extreme proficiency in close-quarter combat and shurikenjutsu. His wind manipulation is flawless and destructive, and from your own reports, he didn't even use shape manipulation. His magnet release is superbly developed, even the Kusakage was surprised."

Darui noted Yugito's gaze fixed on the floor.

"When he joined my team, he was already a heavy hitter," Haou said next to Yugito, "Even taking away his kekkei genkai and his blades, he used to go against Kichiro and Suguna at the same time and he would come out on top. He might be missing combat experience, still failing for my feints and traps, but he's growing exponentially. You're training him well, Yugito."

That, Darui appreciated. Haou Kogure, the jonin known for training the majority of the younger elite shinobi of the force, just stated that Yugito_ is_ training him well.

"The girl is clearly a front-line fighter and the Nagumo kid is a tactician, both worthy of the chunin vest. Kioshi is already beyond a fresh chunin," A-sama said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Is that your verdict, Dodai? Give him to ANBU training?"

"But he's only eight." Yugito's whisper didn't go unheard.

"So was A-sama, so was I," Dodai said, "and so were you."

'That's precisely what's hurting her so much, old man.' Darui really wanted to say something, but he was there to listen and learn the intricacies of the office, just as the Sandaime wanted him to. In silence.

"Call them in, then," A-sama finished.

Yugito squared and nodded. She left the office with Haou Kogure following behind.

Darui wondered for a second if following her and offering a helping hand would have helped.

* * *

_Author's note:_

_I rewrote the fights so many times they quickly became a bother.  
_

_There has been a lot of changes in writing, punctuation and other small stuff you shouldn't notice. I'm learning!_

_Real life is... moving on, I guess. I'm trying my best to keep up writing.  
_

_Thank you all for your reviews and comments, and speak up if you spot a mistake or a typo.  
__Hope you're doing well, stay safe!_


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